


Moiré

by dreamingofawolf (rl4sb4eva)



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alcohol, Anal Sex, Barebacking, Beard Burn, Biting, Bruises, Felching, Handcuffs, M/M, Marking, Mild Angst, Mitaka being awesome, Modern AU: Fashion Photographer, Power bottom!Hux, Rimming, Scratching, Smoking, careful skirting around use of technical terms since I know nothing, gross abuse of text messaging allowances, incredibly mild power play, mention of offscreen car-crash, mention of offscreen death of OCs, mild bondage, mild-mostly offscreen violence, minimal preparation for anal sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-30
Updated: 2016-05-30
Packaged: 2018-07-11 05:21:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 36,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7030651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rl4sb4eva/pseuds/dreamingofawolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“These are a small!”</p>
<p>“And that’s not going to work?” Mitaka asks, stepping closer and holding out the large latte towards the slowly reddening man.</p>
<p>Kylo fixes him with a stare that could melt glass and gestures down at himself. “Probably not, no.” He snatches the coffee from Mitaka and takes a large gulp, shoulders coming down slightly. Still waving the scrap of fabric.</p>
<p>“I am assuming the suggestion of standing on the fire escape for a few minutes to encourage some shrinkage wouldn’t be appreciated?” Hux asks, halfway through devouring a muffin from the bag of pastries and digging through to find another to occupy his hands when he’s finished. He lets his eyes flick to the man’s underwear. “Or likely to help much.” He mutters to himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moiré

“Where is he?” Hux isn’t shouting, he’s just pacing, moving boxes back and forward across the floor, adjusting the lights in small increments before shifting them back to where they were.

“I’m… I’m not sure. The booker said he’d be here by 10.” Mitaka fidgets with his phone, lifting his disposable coffee cup to his lips and finding that it’s empty. He drums his fingers against the desktop.

“I know what they said, but if we wait much longer I’m going to need to order in food, and you know how I hate doing that.” Mitaka smirks at the faint hint of sarcasm in Hux’s voice at the old shared joke, and absently lifts his coffee cup up again. Surprisingly it hasn’t refilled itself in the intervening seconds and he flushes slightly with embarrassment as Hux looks over at him.

“More coffee, I think. Same again?” He states, waving the cup and dragging himself out of the chair.

Hux grunts quietly as he shifts a light back again and asks, “How many times have you tried to drink from the empty? I’m at 4 myself.”

“Just twice, this time.” Mitaka grabs a jacket from the back of his chair and opens the door, holding the empty cup out in front of him and nearly running into the solid shadow outside the studio. “Uh, hello?”

The shadow grunts, steps aside heavily and continues to drip on the floor. “I’m here for the shoot.”

“Ah, Mr. Ren I presume?” Mitaka steps back, gesturing with the cup for the man to enter. “Let me take your coat.” He reaches out a hand and watches, arm still extended, as the tall man slides the coat off, hood last and hangs it up on a hook.

The tall man turns back with a smirk on his face. “Kylo, please.” He holds out a hand. “Mr. Hux I presume?” He parrots back.

“No, that would be my boss.” Mitaka calls back into the studio “HUX! He should be right out.” He says back to Kylo as he reaches up on tiptoes to tap the lightbulb outside the office door, and see if he can coax it back to life. The bulb refuses to revive and he huffs as his heels sink back to the floor.

“Oh, you’re finally here. Well come on then! Mitaka? Add pastries to that coffee order. Oh yeah, the bulbs out, did I not tell you?” Hux says in a rush as he reaches them, holding a lens in each hand and looking down at them for the entire time, before turning around without looking up and walking away again.

“A latte, please.” Kylo says, appearing slightly dumbfounded as he trails after Hux and gives Mitaka a cheesy finger gun with a wink and a click of his tongue. Narrowly avoiding smacking his hip on the large sofa that makes up the waiting area.

Mitaka sighs and heads out into the rain. Sending an email to the building maintenance demanding they fix the light asap.

\--

Hux places the lens down carefully and turns to finally look at Kylo, eyes raking over the tight black weathered jeans, noting the darker patches from the rain, the artfully battered boots at the bottom. “Well, you’ve certainly got the legs for jeans, as far as I can tell anyway. Take the shirts off?” Hux finally looks up and meets Kylo’s eyes, noting the man is slightly taller than himself.

“Normally people buy me dinner before I strip for them.” He jokes, shrugging off the unbuttoned overshirt and pulling his undershirt over his head, dislodging the wool hat as he does so.

Hux groans. “Do you use that line often? Because frankly it’s an awful cliche.” He’s circling Kylo, staring at the dark dots that cover his chilled torso like ink splatters. “Take the hat off though.”

Kylo reaches up, pulling the beanie off and dropping it onto the rest of his clothes. Seeking out and snapping the small plastic bands holding his hair in loose braids along the line of his skull. He leans forward slightly and shakes his head, and Hux watches with slight dismay as the broken strands of plastic scatter across the studio, the braids starting to undo almost immediately and Kylo roughly shoves his fingers through it and fluffs it slightly. When he stands back up the curls that have formed cling to his forehead, his cheeks, laying dark and shiny against the pale skin and Hux feels his heart skip a beat briefly.

He lets a breath out slowly between his lips. “Well, that was a ridiculous display. Do you do that every time? You are, however, surprisingly more amenable than I was led to believe.”

“Are you aware you never give people a chance to answer questions? You just…”

“Keep talking? Yes, fully aware. It’s a terrible character flaw, that I should devote time to. No, keep the gloves on, I think they’ll work well against the table.”

“The company said they’d sent over the clothes for me to wear?” Kylo asks, crossing his arms slightly and sliding his weight over to one hip.

Hux points at the blue folding screen along one wall. “Oh yes, behind the screen, jeans, some kind of modesty underwear thing.” Reaching for his camera to check the settings as Kylo strolls over.

“What did you mean by ‘more amenable’?” He asks and Hux hears the quiet thunk of a boot hitting the floor followed by another.

“Well, you’re the ‘bad boy of Burberry’ right? Or was it Balenciaga? The hashtag thing. Some ‘B’ brand anyway.”

Kylo’s head pokes around the edge of the screen. “Yes, I beat an assistant to death with a Traveller bag... “ He laughs and Hux hears the clatter of his jeans hitting the floor. “It’s ‘hashtag Bad Bae of Balmain’ actually. My manager thought it was inspired. I gained like three hundred thousand followers on twitter. Apparently.”

“Bae?” Hux asks quietly as he attaches the camera to the tripod and quintuple checks the lighting set up.

“Shorthand for ‘babe’.” Mitaka says as he shoves open the door and rustles in, holding a cup tray and a paper bag slowly turning translucent.

“Isn’t that shortened already?” Hux questions as he starts to pull up the brand’s brief on the laptop the camera is connected to.

“Pretty mu…”

“What the fuck?!” Hux hears a clatter and turns back to see Kylo round the edge of the screen holding a small clump of pale flesh-coloured fabric. He’s holding the fabric by its edge and Mitaka is staring at his nearly naked body. Tight underwear leaving barely anything to the imagination. “These are a small!”

“And that’s not going to work?” Mitaka asks, stepping closer and holding out the large latte towards the slowly reddening man.

Kylo fixes him with a stare that could melt glass and gestures down at himself. “Probably not, no.” He snatches the coffee from Mitaka and takes a large gulp, shoulders coming down slightly. Still waving the scrap of fabric.

“I am assuming the suggestion of standing on the fire escape for a few minutes to encourage some shrinkage wouldn’t be appreciated?” Hux asks, halfway through devouring a muffin from the bag of pastries and digging through to find another to occupy his hands when he’s finished. He lets his eyes flick to the man’s underwear. “Or likely to help much.” He mutters to himself.

Mitaka snorts a laugh and steps back quickly when Kylo seems to swell. A low growl coming from his throat.

“Didn’t think so. Go commando then. The contract says to keep the clothes anyway. Though be extra careful doing the zip up.” Hux bites into a concoction of puff pastry and fruit with a smirk as Kylo throws the fabric at him and stalks back behind the screen. “Or are they button up?”

“And I can’t wear my own underwear because?” He shouts back, the screen shaking slightly as a hand appears over the top and grips the edge.

“Low slung jeans, which I intend to capitalise on. Sex sells after all.”

“Shouldn’t I be a woman in a push up bra then?” Kylo asks, the edge of the jeans flicking out past the screen edge as he pulls them up. He walks around the screen still doing the buttons up, turns back to grab his coffee and saunters back out after swallowing down what must be half the cup.

“Ah, we’re appealing to the ‘woman on the street’ who is looking to buy something for her boyfriend, and instead falls head over heels for the fantasy of... “ Hux looks up from the brief, staring at Kylo and swallowing. “Well, it’s more than sufficient to say they picked the right model to fill their brief.”

“And their jeans.” Mitaka mutters, swallowing his next mouthful of coffee too quickly and coughing slightly.

Kylo drains the last of the coffee, dropping the cup into the wastebin and reading the screen over Hux’s shoulder. “So, get ‘em as low slung as I can, hope they don’t fall off completely, and look sexy?” Hux jumps slightly at the hot breath on the side of his neck. Turning to see Kylo standing too close.

“That, uh, that sounds good. I’m sure you can manage it, if you put your… Well, they don’t hire you for your mind after all. So, I’m sure you can manage it, if you put your abs to it.” Hux finds himself sneering slightly, feeling slightly caged in against the desk.

“Fine.” Hux points at the table under the light. Ignoring the way Kylo huffs slightly and his cheeks flush. “No make-up? Hair?”

“Nope. I want to see every shadow and crease. Plus all the moles.”

“Not sure I can show all of them. Don’t think you could put that on a billboard. Maybe on the front page of PornHub? Can I use the bathroom first?”

Hux points at a door across the room. Calling out to Kylo’s retreating back. “Maybe you shouldn’t have downed a large coffee like it was a shot?”

\--

“Where do you want me?”

“Did you really beat an assistant to death with a bag?” Hux asks, as he shifts the camera slightly and points at the tabletop. “Sit on that.”

“Yes, the label was very put out that they had to sell it as a second, couldn’t get the blood out of the lining.” Kylo lets his head fall back, sighing loudly up at the ceiling. “I was pissed off, I broke a chair, and made someone cry. I did not break the photographer’s nose, or arm, or whatever they said,” he pauses briefly and shrugs, “I did punch him though. So they got that part right.” He puts his palms on the table behind him, leaning back, and slumping slightly, abdomen crinkling slightly and Hux presses the shutter.

“Hang your head back, curve your back. Yeah, exactly that.” Hux keeps pressing, barely moving the camera as he flicks buttons to adjust lights until he gets the perfect fall of shadow under Kylo, a shimmering reflection off the glossy tabletop rather than the harsh glare he was getting. “Spread your legs slightly.” The scratch of the denim against the table is loud in the room. “Why?”

Kylo straightens up, looking straight forward, eyes catching the dim light and Hux catches the whole motion as he slides his hips slightly forward. “Why do you care?” He asks, colder than before, not looking at Hux but almost through him, like Hux isn’t there really.

“Bring your hands between your thighs, look into the lens. Mouth slightly open.” Hux lets his eyes flick between the camera and the screen as it fills with shots. “I don’t, really.” He looks back at Kylo. “Bite your bottom lip. I just want to know what to avoid doing so I don’t get punched.”

Kylo laughs slightly at that, teeth dragging his bottom lip into his mouth slowly and eyes widening slightly. Throwing what looks like vulnerability into the position as he leans forward slightly. “You know” he says as his lip slips out, “I feel like I’m selling myself more than the jeans.”

“You are, that’s the point.” Hux tries to look at Kylo, but everytime he does he loses the thread of his thoughts, so he stares at the screen, or through the viewfinder and gives the man orders. “Lick your lips, slowly. Keep looking at the camera.”

\--

“Can you sit back, pull your foot up onto the table, start with both, arms wrapped around them, looking over the top. Look vulnerable, soft.”

Kylo folds himself up on the tabletop, closing his eyes briefly as he wraps his arms around himself. “You know, I’m not an idiot right?”

“I… I didn’t say you were.” Hux looks up, shocked into meeting his gaze and he feels his hands clench slightly.

“You said people don’t hire me for my brain. I’m pretty sure you think I’m some kind of bimbo anyway, and the whole hashtag stupidity doesn’t help.” Kylo slides one leg off the table, leaning his chin onto the other knee and smiling sadly at the camera.

“Could you look less like a kicked puppy?” Hux asks, stepping closer to Kylo and leaning over him slightly to wipe a smear from the table top. “We’re supposed to be selling the jeans to young women for their partners. Not the idea of wrapping you in a blanket and force-feeding you hot chocolate to cheer you up.”

“I thought we were selling the idea ‘if your partner wears these they’ll look like me’?”

“Yes, but the fuckable, slightly dangerous you that gets tagged ‘Bad Bae’ on instagram. Not the sad version that gets tagged ‘puppy’ on tumblr!” Hux is getting exasperated as he turns back to the camera, adjusting the lights more with a few button presses and grabbing for his coffee, grimacing as he realises it’s gone cold in the cup and reaching out to poke Mitaka in the shoulder. “Coffee, more.” He points in the vague direction of the door. “You never answered my question by the way. Scrap the vulnerable, I was wrong, go for debauched. Freshly fucked.”

“Freshly fucked?” Kylo slides off the table, and pads over to the laptop. “I’m going to steal a cake, that should give me the required look of ‘oh shit I’ve done something I shouldn’t have’.” He grabs the half filled bag and pulls a duffin from it’s depths. “I will still never understand why they felt donuts and muffins had to be combined, but I’m really fucking glad they did.” He smirks at Hux, biting a chunk out of the top and smearing cinnamon and sugar over his lips. “Wha’ ques’ion?” He asks, mouth full of dough and apple.

Hux watches the display with a look of mild disgust on his face. “Lovely.” He slides the camera from the tripod, turning it to grab a few shots of Kylo picking at the baked good, stepping nearer to get a close up of the sugar on his lips.

“What are you doing? Do you always photograph people eating?”

“I figure I can sell them to Starbucks, or behind the scenes shots for the internet. Why did you punch the photographer?” Hux keeps moving and snapping, smiling slightly at the irritated look on Kylo’s face as he crowds him back towards the table.

“Because he was an ass. Is that enough of an answer? Counter question, why is it just you and Flirty McFlirterson? I thought there’d be a whole cabal of people, the way the manager was talking about what a big shot you are.” Kylo perches on the table edge, crossing his legs at the ankle and continuing to pick bits off the duffin. Licking his lips and laughing slightly as Hux crouches down in front of him and shoots up. The light above and slightly behind is angled perfectly behind his head and his hair falls forward slightly to diffuse it. Hux refuses to think it looks like a halo. He smiles slightly. "What?"

“Just thinking if I ever give it to convention, you'll be perfect for a shoot called 'Halo Lighting Done Correctly'. Wait," He pauses. "‘Flirty McFlirterson’?” Hux asks, glaring slightly at Kylo as he straightens up and keeps shooting Kylo’s eyes looking up through his eyelashes, face shadowed and lips lined in sugar crystals.

“Your coffee pet.”

“Mitaka is my assistant and incredibly valuable. And to answer your other question, I don’t need a ‘cabal’.” He watches as Kylo finishes the cake and licks at his fingers. Long, slow slides between his lips, before his tongue slips out and catches the trail of crumbs around his mouth and he smiles back up at Hux.

“Fixing it all in photoshop is not the way forward, despite what the industry seems to think.” Kylo says as he sinks his hand into his ridiculous hair and ruffles it up, sweeping it to the side before lying down and hissing slightly as his bare back hits the cold tabletop. “Should I pop the top button as well?” Kylo asks, looking down at Hux over the length of his body.

“Would they stay up if you did? And would the pictures be publishable outside of a brown paper bag?” Hux asks as he drags a box forward and climbs up onto it. Shooting down as Kylo ruffles his hair more so it spreads around his face, and lets his arms fall straight out at his sides, the lights catching on the studded gloves as his hands hang over the edges. “Maybe avoid the freshly crucified look.”

“One in the hair, one down the pants then?” Kylo grins up at him, squinting slightly in the bright light.

“Freshly fucked… Not freshly wanked and came in your own trousers.”

“So, it’s fine if I come in someone else’s trousers?” Kylo asks as he folds his arms behind his head, shaking slightly to ruffle his hair up more. Hux keeps shooting, shaking his head slightly and giving him a disapproving look.

“More amenable to orders, but mind like a gutter. Maybe that’s the new hashtag, ‘Lewd Lothario of Levi’s’, I’m sure they’ll love it.” Hux laughs.

“Nah, that’s the title of the GQ photo piece.”

\--

“Do you smoke?”

“Only when I’m stressed. You smoke?” Hux looks at him incredulously. “It’s a filthy habit.”

Kylo sits up, sliding back off the table and padding over to the screen. “They practically hand you a packet when you join an agency. ‘Here’s your headshots, full body shots, thanks for the check, and here’s a pack of Marlboro’s.’” He gives a soft laugh, calling over the screen as he steps behind it. “I’m trying to cut down. Besides, only when you’re stressed? So that’s what…”

“About a packet a day at the moment.” Hux admits, putting the camera down gently as Kylo comes back from behind the screen, feet shoved into his boots and holding a packet of cigarettes. “You’re going to get wet on the fire escape.”

“A problem? I can suck it down quickly if you’d like.” Hux points him towards the large windows that run along the bare brick walls, leading him towards the furthest one and sliding it open. The sound of the city assaults them and Kylo flinches slightly. “Is this place soundproofed or something?” He asks as Hux pulls the window wide and bends over to step out onto the fire escape, scrunching his shoulders up to his ears as Kylo steps out to join him.

“As much as I can get it. I find it annoying to get something set up and then have a model jump because someone honked a horn or there was a gunshot or a scream.” Kylo lights the cigarettes at the same time, holding both in his mouth before handing one to Hux. “And the rain might work to our advantage. Sweaty look without making you red and huffy.”

“And the hypothermia?”

Hux looks him up and down, shrugging his shoulders slightly before replying. “We all have to suffer for our art.” He blows a thin stream of smoke over his shoulder, enjoying the cool rain and watching as it runs down the lines of Kylo’s chest. “Also, it’s your fault for not putting a shirt on.”

“I thought it might ruin the aesthetic. Besides, this is me suffering for your art.” Kylo points at Hux with the two fingers wrapped around the cigarette, before taking another slow drag. “Isn’t the current trend men in suits anyway? Sexy John Oliver meets Lumberjack?”

“I’m honestly sure that’s never going to be a thing. You are the current trend physically. Doritos are apparently all the rage.”

\--

“Coffee!” Mitaka calls, “I got sandwiches from the deli as well, meat based ones, and some not meat based…” He trails off as Kylo slides in the window. Stopping and shaking the worst of the rain out of his hair.

Hux stubs the cigarette out on the rail and lets it fall to the grating. Stepping back inside the studio while Kylo glares weakly at him. Watching him cross the open space towards Mitaka.

“I’m not a dorito!” He calls at Hux’s back as the redhead picks up his camera and spins to snap a few shots of Kylo advancing across the room. “Am I a dorito?” Kylo asks as he reaches them, turning to Mitaka and taking the quickly proffered coffee.

“Um…”

“Ok, maybe not a dorito! A Dairylea triangle possibly? Far paler than you probably should be, and with weird marks that in your case probably aren’t tin foil.” Hux grabs his cup, hisses as the still too hot liquid touches his lip, and puts it back down.

“I… I don’t even know what one of those is? I think your boss has lost it.” Kylo says, sipping the scalding coffee nonchalantly, his other hand on his hip.

“It’s a food thing. Look the point is you’ve got the shoulders of a greek statue, and the waist of a supermodel. And the hair of a Maine coon!”

“I would have said spaniel, personally.” Mitaka says, riffling through a bag for a sandwich and sliding into a seat. The smell of pastrami and warm bread starts to mingle with the car exhaust fumes and wet city outside the still open window and Hux huffs slightly, striding over to yank it closed. “But like the ears of a spaniel. Especially with the shaking water everywhere when you really don’t want them to.”

Kylo looks half confused and half like he’s about to start laughing, and he reaches up a hand to shove his hair back from his face, grimacing at his palm when it comes away damp. “Kinda unsure whether I should mew or woof in response now.”

“How long are you booked for?” Hux asks as he comes back over.

“I have no idea, I tend to stay ‘til I’m supposed to be somewhere else, and this is my only ‘thing’ today. So…” Kylo shrugs in answer and grabs a muffin from the pastry bag.

“They booked you for the whole day, to make sure the maestro could get his shot. There was a schedule of like 2 hours for hair and make-up. Which I feel implies they figure we were gonna replaster you. Fill in the cracks. Really smooth everything out.” Mitaka answers, taking a big bite of the sandwich in his hands and groaning slightly in pleasure.

“Don’t you have a Barney’s campaign to retouch?”

“Yeah, Boss, after I’ve eaten. You should get on these, they’re so good, and you’re looking a bit pale.” Mitaka smirks as he takes another bite, catching a drip of sauce before it falls out the bottom of the sandwich.

“Oh ha bloody ha, hilarious as ever. Do you eat?” Hux turns to Kylo, watching as he slides the last piece of muffin into his mouth. “I mean, actual food, not just cake.”

“I’ve been known to, on a full moon, within two weeks of my birthday.” He fires back, the effect lessened by the slight shower of cake crumbs that spill from his lips. “Fuck.”

Hux laughs, grabbing the food bag and snatching the first two paper wrapped bundles. “Well, you’ve certainly got the manners of a werewolf.” He mutters, turning the packages to find their labels. “Pastrami, coleslaw and swiss on rye? Or vegetable deluxe with olives on pumpernickel? Really?”

“I figured a vegetarian option would be the best just in case, ‘the Hux daily’ is at the bottom of the bag.”

“Ah, I’m sorry I doubted you.” Hux grabs the last bundle in the bag, clutching it to his chest protectively. “You should probably put a shirt on.”

“Worried I’ll catch a chill?”

“More like, I’m concerned you’ll splatter something down your front and it’ll leave a grease spot.” Hux unwraps his sandwich and slides into a chair at the table, starting to scroll through the photos on the laptop screen.

“That would make sense, don’t want to get the merchandise dirty.” Kylo calls over his shoulder as he grabs a shirt from behind the screen and pulls it on. “My parents did actually teach me how to eat without getting everything down myself though, if you’re that concerned.”

“They didn’t bother with time management, or how to not spray everything with muffin crumbs though?” Hux puts down his sandwich and holds up the other two again, waving them in Kylo’s eyeline.

“Hmm, maybe I need to replace them with better parental figures then.” Kylo laughs as he spins his chair around and straddles it, leaning against the backrest and licking his lips slowly. “Pastrami me, daddy.” He says breathily, letting his head fall back as he laughs loudly, shoulders shaking as Hux glares at him.

Hux throws the sandwich at his head as Mitaka chokes slightly on the food in his mouth.

\--

Hux folds the paper from his sandwich precisely into a rectangle and tucks it under his coffee cup. “You, Barney’s, you, table.”

“Is he always this bossy?” Kylo asks as he pops the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth and chews slowly, ignoring the slight huff from Hux as he stands and grabs the camera.

“I think he’s showing off for your benefit. Trying to dominate the room as the alpha male.”

“I pay you!” Hux says loudly, pointing towards the large desk at the back of the room.

Mitaka sighs, swiping his cup and two cakes from the newer bag of pastries and standing up. “I’m blaming you. Calling him ‘daddy’ went to his head!” He points one of the pastries at Kylo, smiling at the ‘who me?’ gesture he gets in return and strolls over to the other desk, pulling on a large pair of headphones as he sits down.

“Table.”

“I’m starting to feel like I should have given you a safe word at the beginning.” Kylo says as he walks backward towards the table. Giving Hux a filthy grin.

Hux stares at him for a moment, tongue peeking out between his lips briefly, before he manages to force a blink. He blushes slightly, the redness clear on his pale skin and waves a hand at Kylo in an attempt to distract him. “Shirt off, Mr. Ren.”

“Are we still going for freshly fucked? Or some other alliterating order?” Kylo says as he looks up at Hux through his eyelashes and then down to unbutton his shirt and slides it off, brushing a few crumbs loose from his hairless chest.

“I can’t really think of any to be honest. Maybe go with, ‘I just met you and I think you’re the most beautiful girl in the world’?” Hux shrugs, clicking the camera as Kylo perches on the table edge.

“Isn’t that a bit trite? Also, kinda hard to convey beyond gaping and pointing and I think we’re both going to look ridiculous if I do that. What about that ‘sweaty look’ you mentioned earlier?”

Hux’s camera catches the shift in his hips as he gets comfortable and crosses his arm across his chest. “Is this your way of saying you want another cigarette break?”

“Well, not directly. We could, or I could just stand there for a few seconds, see if I lose an extremity to the cold and then come in and look darkly at the camera, and we can send the coffee pet out for more lattes?”

“I still have coffee left.” Hux grabs a half full cup from the table, taking a gulp and sticking his tongue out in disgust as Kylo chuckles.

“That’s the cold one you tried to drink earlier. I’m going to guess it’s not improved? Fine, no coffee pet trips, but we can at least try the ‘recently rain riddled’ look.”

“It’s worth a shot, maybe you’ll sparkle like the vampire from Twilight, that’ll work with the target demographic brilliantly.” Hux stamps his foot hard on the floor twice and Kylo jumps slightly in surprise. Hux laughs as he turns towards the desk and waits for Mitaka to look up slightly dazed from the computer screens. He waves the coffee cup at his assistant and gives him a thumbs up at the sigh and slow nod he gets in reply. “Excellent.”

“I thought no more coffee?”

“You made a valid argument, now put boots on at least. You losing a bollock is less detrimental to my vision than if you lost a toe."

“I’ll… Really? What about a nipple?”

“Photoshop can insert one from the other shots, so that’s not much of a problem. Less tricky than a toe as well.” Hux shrugs, waving his hand at Kylo. “Come on, what if it stops raining?”

“Then I don’t lose random body parts?”

“You didn’t lose anything earlier, suck it up Mr. Ren.” Hux says over his shoulder as he moves towards the window.

“You know, you can call me Kylo. I mean I’d call you by your name, if I knew what it actually was.” He calls back, as he shoves his feet into his boots and jogs across the studio, throwing a wave at Mitaka as he leaves the office.

“Ermintrude.”

\--

Mitaka puts the coffees down near the laptop, looking over at the open window and the low murmur of the city and voices on fire escape. He smiles slightly, almost fondly and scoops up the small bin to clear the refuse from the table.

He jumps slightly as his phone rings in his pocket and fumbles the bin trying to reach it. “Hey Cookie!” He finally gets the bin resting against the table edge and his stomach, reaching out to grab the rest of the rubbish littering the table and throw it in. “That sounds like a shitty day, hun. Go home, sleep and I’ll pick up something spicy and fattening for dinner.” He shoves the bin back under the table and starts to slide his coat off his shoulders.

“There is no way your parents looked at ginger baby you and went ‘yep, that’s an Ermintrude’, no way!” Kylo says as he stumbles climbing back through the window and drops his boots just inside, skin red from the cold and raindrops gathering and running down his chest as he laughs.

“Maybe it’s hair dye?” Hux laughs, sliding the window closed behind him.

“That wasn’t really what I was getting at! Your name is not Ermintrude!”

Mitaka pulls the phone away from his ear slightly and puts his hand over it. “On the phone!”

“His name isn’t Ermintrude, is it?” Kylo asks, hair curling more and bouncing as he lopes across the room.

“No, his name is ‘I’m on the phone’!” Mitaka said, waving a hand in exasperation as Kylo scoops his coffee off the table grinning widely as he takes a sip.

Hux picks his up gingerly, prying the top off and blowing lightly over it’s frothed surface. “No more caffeine for you.” He says softly as he takes a sip.

Kylo laughs, and pauses, holding up a finger and heading off to the bathroom. “Brb, hashtag awks!” He shouts as the door closes behind him.

“Sorry, Boss. Bad day in the Emergency Room.” Mitaka says as he comes back over. “I got an email from his manager asking if everything was ok, and giving us the contact details for her lawyer, ‘just in case’.” He glances over at the closed door of the bathroom. “Is everything ok? It all seems to be going too well, I was expecting more tantrums and punching. Some of the stories are pretty bad.”

“Well, we can’t believe everything we hear. I do feel like I’m dogsitting an excitable puppy. I swear I can see his tail wagging at times.” Hux answers, taking a larger sip of his cooling coffee. “The photos look amazing though. His eyes are…” Hux trails off.

“‘Dark mysterious orbs of wonder’?” Mitaka laughs. “You know, it’s nice to see you enjoying yourself though. And don’t deny it, I’ve not heard you laugh this much without wine in months.”

Hux groans and points towards the desk, ignoring Mitaka’s smile. “Go, Barney’s. And stop reading romance novels.” He turns back to the laptop, flicking through a few of the pictures while he waits and muttering “orbs of wonder” under his breath when he stops on one.

“We good to go?” Kylo calls as he comes back in, drying his hands with a folded paper towel. He looks around for somewhere to put it, balling it up in his palms and throwing it so it bounces off Hux’s head. “I even flicked extra water on myself.”

Hux shakes his head slightly with a small smile, ignoring the paper towel on the keyboard as he moves to pick up the camera again. “I want to get some shots from behind, so feet slightly apart, hands on the table, back curved, looking down?”

Kylo twists around, leaning onto his hands as the leather gloves squeak slightly on the tabletop, his shoulders and back curve gracefully and he lets his head fall down between his arms.

“Legs a bit wider. Side note, can you get the jeans any lower or will they fall off?” Kylo turns his head and looks under his arm slightly as Hux starts taking more pictures.

“I could try, but then it might reach the point we can only put them in Hustler and Penthouse.” Hux glares at him slightly and Kylo lets his head fall forward again. “They’re porn mags by the way. In case you didn’t have them in England.”

“I know what they are, you arse.”

“Really, isn’t it all ‘Bulldogs and Bikinis’, ‘A Right Royal Rogering’ and of course the classic,” he looks up to catch Hux’s eye again, a brilliant smile on his face, slightly crooked and Hux can’t look away, “‘Sexy Serving Wenches and Lusty Lords’.”

“You are a terrible person.” Hux says while trying not to grin. “Anyway, bikinis aren’t really suited for the climate. Us Brits can only get erections if we see a woman in a Victorian bathing costume, all woolen and striped.” Hux stops moving, tongue poking out to the corner of his mouth slightly as if he’s thinking. “Or a rollicking Miss Marple. That’ll do it for the majority of us.”

Kylo laughs, and Hux makes sure to catch the way his stomach tightens, and his back flexes as he twitches, trying to hold position. “That’s… Fuck.” He pants slightly, hair bouncing as he keeps laughing, high and breathy and filling the room with echoes. “A ‘rollicking Miss Marple’?” He says when he’s calmed down slightly. “That’s either a very expensive cocktail, or a very filthy sex move.”

“It involves both, and some industrial strength hatpins.” Kylo’s laugh echoes around the studio.

\--

Kylo flicks the jeans over the top of the screen and Hux smiles at a quiet thump and a small yelp before Kylo bounces into view pulling his own jeans and underwear up. “So, what is your name? You still haven’t told me.”

Hux continues turning the lights off from his seat at the laptop, scrolling through the thumbnails as he avoids looking at Kylo’s chest. “I did tell you, Ermintrude Hux. Well, Ermintrude Wulfric Hux to be specific.”

“Bullshit.” He says, the word muffled as he pulls his t-shirt over his head and slides it down. He pads over to Hux, still barefoot and leans over him, resting his chin on Hux’s head and draping his arms over thin shoulders to fall to Hux’s waist. “You know, you’ve made me look kinda hot. I should send you a fruit basket.”

“Oh shut up. You have like 2 million followers on Instagram who tell you how ‘hot’ you are all day.” Hux tries to look up and grimaces as Kylo’s chin digs into his scalp. “Ow.”

Kylo stands up and starts towards the window, “some of them do, a lot of the others just type up ‘veritable dictionaries of abusive rhetoric’. Though, to be honest at least some of the abuse is funny, seeing 300 variations on ‘destroy me, Daddy’ is quite frankly concerning.”

“‘Rhetoric’? That’s an improvement over ‘hashtag awks’ at least.”

“It’s something Phasma said once. She deals with that side, I just take the pictures, well some of them. I have a private account for the real stuff that’s not corporate or sponsored.” He pulls his socks out of his pocket and carries his boots to the square of squishy couches that make up the reception area, falling down and sinking into the soft leather with a slight squeak.

Hux wanders over, holding his phone out and framing up a shot of the back of Kylo’s head before asking “‘destroy me, Daddy?” Kylo’s head and shoulders spin around and Hux catches the look of shock meeting it with a slow smirk. “Do they really say that?”

“That’s fairly tame. Do you not have that problem?”

“I take the pictures, I’m rarely in them. Also I’m not sure I have the shoulders for it.”

Kylo looks him up and down, and Hux feels himself flush under the scrutiny. “Tighter jeans. Undo a few more buttons at the top and bottom of the shirt, you’d have a following in minutes. The hair, the skin. Hashtag ‘Fuxed’ probably. Phasma’s better at that stuff than I am.”

“Maybe I could just lose the jeans all together? That’d boost my follower count no doubt. All the people with skinny bird leg fantasies will be well catered for.”

“Don’t forget the lens flare you’d no doubt get. When did you last see the sun on those twigs?” Mitaka laughs as he walks over, holding a small sheaf of paper and flipping a pen in his fingers.

“I could fire you, you know!”

Kylo gasps theatrically, bringing his hand to his chest in mock surprise. “You can’t fire the coffee pet! I throw myself at your mercy, spare him!” He looks at the backrest of the sofa, and his face slips into exaggerated sadness. “Well, I’d throw myself at your mercy, but there’s a big lump of leather and upholstery, so maybe I’ll try the puppy eyes.”

“Puppy eyes?” Hux asks, laughing despite himself, shoving his phone into his pocket and folding his arms slightly as Kylo looks up from under his eyelashes, making his eyes wide, and his bottom lip thrust out slightly. “Oh.”

Kylo’s eyes catch the final rays of the sun coming through the windows and sparkle and Hux can’t look away, can feel the flush deepen into a full blush that he knows runs down his chest under his shirt. “Do you think they’re working?” Kylo asks Mitaka in a stage whisper. Batting his absurdly long eyelashes and cocking his head slightly to the side.

“Mitaka can stay! He was right after all.”

“Well, I usually am, but can you be more specific, Boss?” Mitaka asks as he shoves the paperwork at Kylo with the pen and points at a dotted line at the bottom.

“He’s a fucking spaniel.”

Kylo signs the paperwork with a flourish and hands it back, smiling proudly and opening his mouth to pant a few times as Hux laughs. “By the way, what is his first name?” He asks Mitaka, standing awkwardly from the low sofa and straightening his shirt.

“What did he tell you it was?” Mitaka looks to Hux, both smirking at each other.

“Ermintrude.”

“Oh come on, Boss. Ermintrude? It’s not that, it’s Dougal.” Mitaka maintains a straight face for about 3 seconds before crumpling forward and Kylo glares at Hux who’s shaking where he stands, trying to hold in his laughter.

“I hate you both.”

“What if my name actually is Dougal?” Hux asks, taking a deep breath and shoving the words out quickly before his voice cracks.

Kylo points at the red faced Mitaka, glare increasing. “Well, either he finds it a truly hilarious name, or it’s some private joke between the two of you. I could just google it.” He pulls his phone out of his pocket, tapping away at the screen quickly and grunting at it quietly, shoving the device back in his pocket almost violently. “B. Hux. So helpful.”

“Well, it’s a start.” Mitaka manages to get out. “Anyway, you’re booked for another shoot here in a few weeks, so you can keep interrogating him then. Maybe you’ll reach the Hux breaking point.”

“Or, you could give me your number and I could keep interrogating you via text message?” Kylo looks hopefully at Hux, actually looking shy and Hux feels his hand sticking out for the phone before he can stop himself. Taking it as Kylo yanks it from his pocket again.

He taps the number in quickly, handing the phone back without meeting Kylo’s eyes again, holding his breath slightly without even realising. “There, but no poop emojis! Or I will pick the very worst picture of you and give you wrinkles and sell it to TMZ.”

“You know that’s not actually going to deter me, right? Look up.” Hux looks up, and blinks as the flash catches him off guard. “Not bad. I mean it’s no… Well, it’s no Hux, but it’s pretty good for an amateur like me. Can I put you in as Daddy War-Hux?” Kylo smiles widely at him, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“Absolutely fucking not!”

“If you don’t I’m never talking to you again!” Mitaka says loudly. “That is amazing!”

Kylo jumps slightly as the phone starts vibrating in his hand. “I gotta go, that is Phasma, and she’s probably going to shout at me.” He grabs his coat from the hook, answering the call with one arm through the sleeve “Yeah, yeah, two seconds.” His hand over the mic he smiles broadly at Mitaka and Hux, “Coffee pet, Daddy War-Hux, I will see you soon! Yes, it went fine, I was a perfect gentleman. Well, I didn’t punch anyone or cause any lawsuits. Hopefully. There was a worrying moment with a pastrami sandwich, but it didn’t cause any actual damage.” The door clicks shut behind him.

\--

“Shall we call it a day? You can get back to that wonderful husband of yours and I can get back to my wonderful partner.” Hux is slowly slumping forward in his seat, scrolling through the thumbnails and looking closer at a choice few, and he stretches himself up with a groan as Mitaka does the same at the desk.

“I don’t think Netflix actually counts. Nor does the pizza delivery guy.”

“You’re fired.” Hux says without any force, moaning in pleasure as his neck cracks mid-roll.

Mitaka smiles, shoving the seat back from the desk and reaching down to grab his bag. “Maybe you should text Kylo, he was totally into you.”

“No, he was just flirting for the good of networking, it’s not the first time a model’s tried that.”

“If you honestly believe that, then you’re an idiot, but fine. I’m not gonna push it, I will however see you tomorrow, bright eyed and bushy tailed for a wonderful day of ‘OMG MITS!’ and ‘Huxxy, darling? I need a touch up!’”

“I’m ill.” Hux groans, letting his head fall into his hands. “I swear that guy has a voice box that’s been transplanted from a bat or something.”

Mitaka laughs quietly. Pulling his coat around him and opening the door. “But he does have an arse you could bounce a quarter off! Night, Boss.” His laugh echoes through the stairwell as Hux turns back to the laptop.

\--

Hux steps lightly down the spiral staircase in the corner of the studio, glass in his hand as the lights slowly flicker on in the middle of the room, leaving the edges shadowed. The lights of the city light up the floor in patches as he pads quietly on bare feet across to the laptop, taking a sip from the red wine.

“Well, Mr Ren, we meet again.” He says to himself as he opens the computer, scrolling through the hundreds of thumbnails and starting to mark the best ones.

He sips the wine and sighs as he quickly comes across the photos of Kylo eating the cake, and stares at the soft lines of his lips, and the slight shine of a smear of apple across the upper lip. He follows the trail of Kylo’s tongue through the next few shots as it swipes the sticky filling from his skin and shakes his head as he reaches for another sip of wine.

“He was just being friendly.” He says sternly, voice echoing slightly in the darkened studio as he reaches the ‘vulnerable’ shots, glad that he scrapped the idea, but drawn in by the dark smudge of his hair on his pale cheeks. He reaches out gently to the screen as if to sweep the hair aside and pulls his hand back as if burnt. Scrolling quickly down the page.

Hux starts slightly and pulls his phone from his pocket, opening the new message and reading it quietly under his breath. _“Hey Ermingal! I realised I had your number, but didn’t give you mine, so uh… This is it. Sorry it’s like 4am or something, but I was thinking about today and I would have forgotten otherwise. So… This is my number, feel free to reply.”_

Hux smiles down at his phone, saving the information and putting it down on the table to take another drink. It vibrates again and Hux looks down and reads. _“Just thought, you might prefer Doutrude!”_ Followed by a line of emojis that make Hux roll his eyes, but he stays smiling as the phone vibrates again. _“This is Kylo, by the way.”_ Hux is only half way through when another message appears on the screen. _“Kylo Ren that is.”_

“How many other Kylo’s do I know?” Hux says to the empty room, laughing as his phone goes again.

_“Which you probably already knew. Sorry, did I mention it’s like 4am?”_ Hux goes to start a reply when another message appears on the thread. _“I realize that you can probably tell time, and therefore know what time it actually is. And I should stop messaging you like this, because you’re either awake and ignoring me, asleep and not reading these, grumpily awake because you were asleep and I woke you up, or the worst option, grumpily awake and considering calling the cops to report me.”_

The typing icon appears on the screen before Hux even starts reading and his smile gets wider when he finally reaches the end of the small wall of text and the next message pops up. _“Please don’t call the cops, they would actually arrest me, and they put the handcuffs on too tight every time.”_

_“Not that I have a handcuff tightness preference. I mean, not beyond a normal fondness for normal circulation.”_

Hux can feel tears welling up in the corners of his eyes, laughing quietly between gasps for air and the occasional moan of an ‘ow’ as his chest protests. The glass of wine sits forgotten on the desk. Hux stands up, the phone lit in his hand and occasionally vibrating as he crosses quickly to the spiral staircase and goes back upstairs.

He crosses his apartment and opens the middle drawer of his bedside table, digging into the back of the drawer as he looks back down at the screen and catches up on the messages. _“I’ve used the word normal too much.”_

_“You’re going to wake up to like 15 messages and it’s just going to be me steadily having some kind of 4am meltdown, and you’re going to change your number and leave New York.”_

_“Which honestly, please don’t. Because you’re kinda awesome.”_

_“Also, yes, I’m pretty sure you know what the time is, and even if you couldn’t actually tell the time I’ve said it like 8 times, and discussed handcuff preferences. I should just wait for the cops to show up with a restraining order.”_

_“I mean, you’re really awesome, those pictures look great.”_

Hux feels the laughter slow down slightly, and he opens the camera as another message pops up at the top of his screen. _“I’m going to stop now, and I’m not normally like this, and I’m sober, so I can’t even blame vodka for my abuse of commas and implied insults about your ability to read clocks.”_

Hux holds the handcuffs he’d fished from the back of the drawer up and lets them dangle from one finger, taking a quick picture with the front camera of his mouth and the cuffs in his hand.

He switches back to the thread. _“Fuck, I should probably delete your number and leave the city myself. I’ll do that, I’ll move to Wisconsin, or Bogota or somewhere remote so you never have to look, hear or talk to me again.”_

He adds the photo to the message box, typing in a quick comment and hitting send with a shaking hand before he can overthink it.

**_“I find four clicks in on these to be the most comfortable personally, but you’ve got wider wrists. Bren”_ **

He sends the wink emoji a few seconds later and drops his phone, screen down, to the bed. He lets himself fall back, the handcuffs falling to the cover beside him, and puts his hands over his face. “Fuck.”

He’s asleep in seconds.

\--

Hux’s alarm is loud and shrill, and he groans as he rolls onto his back and lets his arm fall out to the side. It clangs against his metal headboard and his wrist slips into one of the decorative swirls as he swears and spends several seconds longer than he will ever admit twisting it out. “I’m never touching wine again.” He mutters as he sits up and grabs for the source of the alarm, turning the phone over and hitting the off button. His screen is a mess of notifications, email, various social medias and messages and he starts the morning grind of slowly working through them.

Sliding off the bed and stumbling towards the kitchen he reaches a clump of messages from Kylo and swears loudly as he stubs his toe on the corner of cabinet, poking the button on his coffee maker violently before opening the thread.

He scrolls up til he finds the picture he sent, and briefly hangs his head forward at the badly framed, and poorly lit selfie he’d produced. Before starting to read.

_“Bren?”_

_“Wait, is that UR name? Bren Hux?”_

_“And handcuffs, why do you have handcuffs?! They don’t even seem to have the safety latch thing, I always get out of those.”_

_“Ah fuck.”_ Hux laughs at that message, the smell of the brewing coffee making his stomach wake up and he opens the cupboard to pull out a mug as it growls loudly. There’s a new time stamp in the thread and Hux sees there’s a gap of about half an hour. _“You’re not going to say anything else? Is this even the right number? Did you give me a fake number to trick me?!”_

_“No, that would be childish, and that’s definitely your chin.”_

_“Not that I spent a long time staring at your chin during the shoot. Honestly I didn’t.”_

_“I came home and googled you, and looked at all the pictures I could find, and that’s definitely your chin!”_

Hux smiles as he pours a large mug, adds milk from the carton in the fridge and carries on reading.

_“I absolutely didn’t do that. I found like two photos from this launch thing in the cab and that was it, you were wearing this light gray suit with dark red pinstripes, and you had the shiniest shoes. It was distracting.”_

_“Also you had a beard, the beard works, you should regrow the bears.”_

_“Beard! But I mean that’s totally your decision, I mean bear burn is a fun thing sometimes. ;)”_

_“BEARD BURN! This fucking phone! It drives me mad!”_

_“I may have actually yelled ‘BEARD BURN’ while typing that, and now I’m concerned that my neighbours will call the police. Which would be the perfect end to an embarrassing day. Do you think they’d let me put on pants before dragging me into a car?”_

_“Wait, don’t Brits call pants trousers and underwear pants? I’m not lying here naked. I am wearing underwear, look.”_

Hux coughs slightly as he scrolls up to reveal a picture of black boxers and long pale legs dotted with more moles and freckles, lightly furred with hair and finely toned with muscle. There’s a further time gap after the picture before _“I have now realised that I could probably have just said I was wearing underwear, and there was no need to send a picture. But I’m kinda panicked as to why you aren’t responding. And still fairly terrified of the cops turning up for one of my many transgressions this evening.”_

_“I have NOW realised that you’re probably actually asleep. And you may have even been asleep this whole time.”_

_“Do you sleepwalk? OMG! Did you sleep-send-me-a-kinky-selfie?!”_

_“Is that even a thing?”_

_“That isn’t a thing.”_

_“Ok, look, I’m sorry I sent you like a hundred messages in like 2 hours, though luckily nothing more incriminating than my legs. And I hope you’re just asleep, but if I don’t hear back from you and you died of something and I don’t get to ask you properly. Well… I don’t really know. But they do say I’m an impulsive weirdo. So, yeah.”_

_“Oh. I should probably actually ask you the question. Do you like me? :P”_

It’s the last message and Hux sits down stunned on the bed, staring at the thread on the screen.

He shakes his head slightly, turning the screen off and dropping the phone back to the bed. He downs the rest of the mug of coffee, and heads towards the bathroom, stopping and turning his head to look back at the phone lying on his bed before closing the door firmly behind him.

\--

“Bye Anders! Thanks, it was a great shoot.” Mitaka calls down the stairs, closing the door and leaning his back against it with a sigh. “Bat voice box indeed.” He walks back into the main part of the studio, “how’re they looking, Boss?”

“Same as ever, vapid, shallow and ridiculous. But he always seems happy so I’m not going to argue. Though why he insists on wearing everything he designs is beyond me. Half of the cuts do not suit him one bit.” Hux twitches slightly as his phone vibrates loudly against the table, and he quickly flicks it over to check who the message is from, sighing audibly and letting it fall back to the table.

“What is wrong with you? Gambling debts wracking up? A baby momma hitting you up for child support? The Queen wants to give you an award for services to abdominal muscles?” Mitaka asks, sliding a paper bag with grease stains closer to Hux with an almost hopeful wiggle of it’s edge and a smile.

Hux stands up, grabbing for his coffee cup instead and draining it, hand trembling slightly. “Nothing is wrong. Too much caffeine, that’s all.” He grabs for his phone again when it shakes the table with another message, but Mitaka gets there first. “That’s private!”

“Well, clearly it’s something. Also Domino’s are doing 2 for 1. But I don’t think that’s what has you so twitchy. Spill.”

“This is not a gossip circle. And quite frankly I’m appalled. My greatest advance has been to shoulders in photography, not abs! You should know this! Now give me the phone.” Hux holds his hand out, shoving the phone into his pocket almost as soon as Mitaka hands it over.

Smirking as he starts clearing the table of rubbish, Mitaka waits until Hux has slumped down onto the back of the sofa before clearing his throat slightly. “So, it’s got nothing to do with the email I got from Kylo asking if you’d died then?”

Hux feels his face redden as he tries to splutter indignantly and convincingly enough that he won’t actually have to answer the question. “Absolutely not.” He manages, inwardly cringing at the slight braying upper class tone his voice takes. “He is a client!”

“No, he’s a model, for a client. Which is different. And he made you laugh and smile and look comfortable in a way I’ve never seen. It was brilliant. The pictures were brilliant. He made you look…”

“He asked me if I liked him.” Hux blurts out. Pulling the phone from his pocket and quickly opening the thread, staring at the last message again. “Just read them.”

Mitaka walked over and stretched out his hand, clicking off the screen and pushing the phone back towards Hux. “Do you?”

“I don’t fucking know. Probably. It’s just like me to fall for the first pretty face I see!”

“I won’t take that too personally, Boss.” Mitaka crosses his arms in front of him and smiles broadly as Hux looks up from the phone. “Look, he’s asking if you like him. Not if you wanna get married, combine bank accounts and get a cat. What’s the worst that could happen if you said yes?”

“I could get punched.” Hux says with a shrug. “Wouldn’t be the first time, nor probably the last to be honest. I just have that kind of face.” He lets himself smile, sitting up straighter.

“Then message him an answer before the poor puppy has an aneurysm, get some sleep, and don’t forget to pack.”

“Pack? I’m telling him I like him, not moving in!”

“For the shoot you idiot. Barbuda, three days? Bring shorts.”

Hux looks mildly panicked. “I don’t think I own any.” He admits quietly. “British climate and all.”

“You’ve been here four years! Right, that’s it, we’re going shopping, I’m gonna call Than and we’re taking you shopping. Dinner is on you.”

“Doph, I don’t think…” Hux stops at Mitaka’s hand lightly pressing against his mouth.

Mitaka sighs slightly. Pointing at the phone with his free hand. “Text Kylo. Don’t think. Come shopping. Have dinner. Still no thinking required. Now, nod and get to it!” He wiggles his hand slightly, nodding Hux’s head for him. Grimacing and snatching his hand away when Hux licks his palm. “Ew. You and the puppy are perfect for each other.” He pulls his phone from his pocket and dials. “Cookie! We’re taking Bren shopping!” He walks off towards the desk.

Hux sticks his tongue out slightly and calls out “Why do you taste like bacon?” as he looks at the screen of his own phone and the message still on it.

**_“Hey, I know it’s been a few hours since you messaged me. But you can probably tell I didn’t call the police. I’m also not dead and no restraining orders have been issued.”_** He sends the first part, hand shaking as he hits the letters to write the second half. **_“And yeah. Yeah I do.”_** He pauses, about to hit delete and taking a deep breath.

He hits send, quickly locks the phone and shoves it into his pocket. “Right, clothes shopping. Let's go.”

\--

Hux is lying in bed, trying to slide into sleep when the light of his phone flicks on, and he groans slightly as he rolls towards it, reaching out a limp hand to grab it and slide it towards him, squinting in the glare.

_”You still awake?”_

Hux smiles softly as he taps out a reply. _**”Just. Do you ever sleep?”**_

_“I don’t like the dark. :P”_

He laughs softly as he watches the typing bubble pop up on the screen and waits for the next message to pop in. _”I was asleep, woke up, thought of you.”_

_**”Why’d you wake up? Though I do understand that nightmares of my pale pale face looming out of darkness can scare small children. I thought most adults were immune to it.”** _

The typing bubble appears and disappears and reappears and the screen dims as Hux waits. _”Did you want to go out sometime? We could see a movie, grab food?”_

Hux starts typing more questions but stops and deletes them. Replying with a simple _**”That sounds lovely. I’m away for a few days, but when I get back?”**_

A picture flashes up on his screen of Kylo grinning at the phone, hair rumpled up on one side, and his eyes slightly red-rimmed. His mouth wide and crooked. Hux absently notes the lack of a shirt collar and grins back at the phone. _”I shall liaise with your fair coffee pet to find a suitable date night. I’ll let you sleep now though. Have fun!”_

The typing bubble reappears on the screen briefly and disappears again, and Hux locks the phone and tries to settle down again, feeling warm and comfortable as he watches the rain slide down the windows.

His phone lights up again and Hux sees a single letter in the message. _”x”_

He takes a deep breath, pausing before quickly responding in kind and then putting the phone, screen down this time, on the bedside table and pulls the duvet over his head quickly before flipping his pillow to the cool side and settling down properly.

\--

“Have you seen this?” Hux asks loudly, shoving a pile of paper into Mitaka’s arms as he walks into the studio. “Four different women in three cities! In a week! I was right, he was flirting for networking.” Hux slumps onto one of the sofas, letting his head fall back as he slides down in the seat til it rests on the back. Glancing upside down at Mitaka trying to restrain the magazines and newspapers that Hux thrust at him.

“Did you buy every gossip rag in the city?” He asks as he finally gives up, crumpling the pile to his chest and dropping it on Hux. Grabbing the top most magazine and flicking a few pages into it. “‘Mysterious bad boy supermodel Kylo Ren cut a swathe through Europe over the last 10 days. Attending several shoots and high profile events, the six foot three hottie was spotted on the arms of multiple women!’ In other news, ‘Elvis is working in a Burger King in Poughkeepsie’. Come on Bren, you really believe this?”

“There are pictures! Good, quality, well lit pictures for the most part at premieres and parties.” Hux flops his hand over his eyes, shunting the slipping pile of paper onto the floor in a rustle. “I’ve got selfies on my phone of him at at least two of those events. He’s smiling. I thought he was smiling at me.”

Mitaka rolls the magazine into a tube, reaching over and lifting Hux’s arm away from his face. “Have you even gone on a date yet? Oh wait, no you haven’t because that’s tonight. Did you ask who he was with? No, you didn’t because you were distracted by the cute guy sending you pictures of his legs and saying he liked you within 24 hours of meeting you!” He taps Hux on the nose with the roll of paper, laughing as Hux flails out to grab it, almost falling off the sofa in the process. “He’ll be here in an hour, put the pile of newspapers in the dumpster, put on your adult pants and ask him when he’s here!”

“In all fairness, he didn’t actually say he liked me. He asked me if I liked him. That’s not actually the same thing.” Hux can hear the whine that creeps into his voice and lets his eyes close. “Oh fuck, I’m pathetic. I spent 10 hours with the guy and I’m already concerned he’s tired of me.”

“Yes you are, Boss. But you know what? The puppy likes you, cannot figure out why, but he does. I’ve seen some of those texts, he’s basically swinging wildly between ‘I’m cool, please like me’ and ‘Do you like me?’ only with his tail wagging.” Mitaka pauses on his way back to the desk. “I’m also realising I should stop thinking of him as a dog. Because I might get the overwhelming urge to ruffle his hair and call him a good boy, and I don’t think I can reach the top of his head.”

“Does that mean you’re going to put down the rolled up newspaper?” Kylo asks from the doorway as he pushes open the unlocked door to the studio. “I’ve only been there since ‘urge to ruffle hair and call him a good boy’, which by the way, I can sit down if it would make it easier?” He smiles brightly at Mitaka, turning his head slightly to look at Hux and looking away as his cheeks flush red and his smile turns shy.

“The newspaper is for Dougal over there, he’s having a bit of a pity party at the moment. I’m going to go and get coffee, since in his urge to buy every newspaper in New York, he forgot to buy the bloody things, and we weren’t expecting you for another hour.”

“I couldn’t sleep, so I walked over, thought it would take me longer, but well apparently not. I can help you set up if you need it? Before… Maria isn’t it today?” Mitaka nods, pulling a hoodie from a hook and slipping it on. “Well, before Maria gets here then. Do you need any help getting the coffees? I have… hands.” Kylo finishes rather lamely, waving his gloved hands with a weak laugh.

Mitaka laughs, patting his shoulder as he walks by. “Can you extract my boss from his self-imposed cocoon of paper and despair? That would be excellent. I’ll get more duffins. And maybe a few of those water drop cakes with no calories. I hear they go over really well with supermodels.” He closes the door quietly behind him.

“Hi.”

“You know, normally I at least get a date to screw up before someone decides I’m not worth the effort.” Hux mutters, shifting his hips and twitching as half the newspaper pile slides onto the floor.

Kylo looks around the studio quickly, confusion evident on his face as he steps over the slumped pile of paper and sits next to Hux on the sofa. “Aren’t we, tonight? I even made sure to keep tomorrow free as well, incase it keeps going. But if you’ve changed your mind…”

“I’ve not, you have apparently.” Hux grabs a magazine that’s precariously balanced on his hip and waves it in Kylo’s face. “4 women in 3 cities in 10 days. Impressive!” He lets it slip from his fingers before picking it up again and sitting up so he can roughly shove it into Kylo’s lap. “I’ll bet you all had a good laugh about it.”

Kylo flicks through the magazine, stopping on a page covered in large pictures of himself. “Oh, yeah. Phasma sets those up. I hate going to parties and stuff, most of the time I don’t go at all. Then there are the ones I’m basically paid to attend, so she finds someone else who’s going and we go together. Nothing happens, and half the time I’m there with other guys. Europe just seems to be all about the ‘feminine mystique’ at the moment.” He says casually, closing the magazine and dropping it onto the pile.

“So you aren’t…” Hux slumps slightly. “Fuck.”

Kylo smiles crookedly and he reaches out a hand to pat Hux’s shoulder gently. “I’m not whoring myself around the planet, if that’s what you were getting at. Though I’m slightly concerned that you think I am. If that’s what you think already...”

“No!” Hux shouts. “I… It’s happened before.” He says lamely, looking anywhere but at Kylo. “Just after I got to New York, there was a model who thought I could… Anyway, I didn’t want it to be ‘that’ again and then I saw the pictures and I’m tired and I’m an idiot evidently.”

Kylo laughs slightly. Pressing the pad of his forefinger under the point of Hux’s chin until Hux looks up and meets his eyes. “I get it, it’s not a completely insane assumption given my reputation, but you could have just asked. Also, you should probably be more worried about the guys Phasma sends me with. Waifs and bears and every accepted form of physical perfection, all in ludicrously tight pants.” Kylo laughs as he talks, grinning madly when Hux slaps him on the arm.

“So, don’t worry about the leggy blonde in heels, worry about the jacked up brunet in painted on jeans?” Hux asks, finally smiling back.

Kylo looks down quickly, takes a deep breath and presses forward to kiss Hux, a brief, chaste press of dry lips against dry lips before he moves back. “Well, I mean you can worry about them if you like. But I have the social skills of a crack addicted meerkat, so you probably don’t have to worry.”

“Crack addicted meerkat? That sounds… Should I hide the silver?” Kylo laughs as Hux crinkles his nose slightly at the joke. “So, the kiss? Is that a thing we could…” Kylo cuts him off as he presses forward again, sliding a hand round to the back of Hux’s neck and pulling him in for the last few inches.

His large nose slides against Hux’s as he tries to get a good angle, running his tongue along the inside edge of Hux’s bottom lip and moaning slightly as Hux flicks the tip of his own tongue against Kylo’s. There’s a soft knock on the office door and they spring apart like teenagers caught by a parent. Hux looks up to see a silhouette through the frosted glass.

“Mr. Hux? I’m here for a shoot, I’m a bit early though. Should I come back in a few minutes?”

Kylo groans slightly, pulling his beanie hat down over his ears and eyes. “The one day everyone is early.” He mutters.

“It’s fine, I’ll be right over to open the door, it sometimes gets stuck.” Hux calls back, voice strained at the lie. “Later.” He whispers at Kylo as he stands up and kicks the majority of the newspapers under the sofa.

\--

Hux is scrolling through the pictures from the first half of the shoot, trying to replicate the feel of the originals as Kylo and Maria get changed. Maria behind the screen and Kylo in front. “Why did they hire me to do half a shoot? I’m sure you’ve told me already, but I’ve probably slept since then.”

Mitaka looks up from the desk, pointing at himself slightly before speaking. “There was an issue with the original photographer, he, uh, declined to continue.”

“He’s the dude I punched.” Kylo says as he shrugs on a suit jacket, looking up slightly sheepishly at Hux.

“Well, I can see why. These pictures are terrible. Was it the tagline that did it or the socks?” Hux smiles back, twirling a pen in his fingers as he looks at the lighting setup again. “‘Make Fun InFormal’, it’s a terrible pun and it’s stupid.”

“Says the guy who lives in jeans and button downs!” Mitaka shouts from the corner, sliding the headphones on as the faint tinny noise of music starts leaking from them.

“I own suits!” Hux shouts back, waving his arms helplessly when he gets no response and turning back to Kylo. “I do own suits, some really nice suits actually. I just, honestly don’t see the point in wearing them all the time.”

“And yet you shave everyday?” Kylo asks, lowering himself down to a white painted box at the edge of the set.

Hux smirks at him. “Well, yeah, full beard is fine, but there’s a scruff stage in the middle where I just look vaguely homeless.”

“Uh, Kylo?” Maria calls from the screen, peeking around the edge with a slightly red face. “Could you come and help me with this dress, I can’t reach the zipper? Sorry, Mr. Hux, I’ll be right out.”

“No problem, and you can call him Hux it’s fine honestly. Or Zebedee.” Kylo answers, grinning as he slips behind the screen and Hux hears the sharp slip of a zip. “All done.”

“How does the makeup look? Shall I get Mitaka to help?” Hux calls to them, hand slightly clenching at his side.

Maria clicks around the side of the screen, looking resplendent in a blue knee length dress and matching heels and she smiles at Hux. “Probably a little touch up needed.” She giggles as she brushes her thumb against the corner of her mouth and starts across the room. “Mits? Can you help me please?” She trills as Kylo comes back out from behind the screen.

“I think she might actually have three hands.” Kylo whispers as he joins Hux behind the laptop, straightening the lapel of his jacket and fixing the cuffs.

“Very shrewd girl that one. Acts like a ditz, graduated top of her class from Brown. Be careful, she’ll reel you in.” Hux mutters out of the side of his mouth. “And you googled the names then? Magic Roundabout was my favourite show as a kid.”

Kylo smiles at him, his hand reaching out slightly to run the knuckle of his forefinger down the side seam of Hux’s jeans and grinning wider when Hux shifts slightly closer. “I am not going to make a joke about already ‘being on the hook’ because that would be terrible and you would probably hate me for it. But I am thinking it. And, personally, I think Dougal suits you best.”

“Oh that’s sweet, joking about being trapped in a relationship before we’ve even had our first date!” Hux raises his eyebrows in his best mock indignation, huffing slightly before chuckling quietly.

“Bastard! That’s not what I meant. Besides, she’s not my type.” Kylo wiggles his eyebrows and turns towards the set. “So, what are we doing?”

“Piggy backs I thought. Maybe some lifts. And some overhead shots, lying on the ground next to each other. Just basic stuff really. Just act like you’re young lovers having the time of your life. In a completely empty space with no discernible horizon. You know, like normal.”

\--

Kylo is reaching out towards Maria while Hux stands on a pile of sturdy boxes shooting down at them. Moving the camera and waiting for Mitaka to get back with lunch.

“Can you look as though you’re happy to see each other? Or at least less inclined towards violence! Think about whatever you need to get back those happy faces you had in the first half.” Maria slumps slightly as Hux tries to direct them.

“Can I fuck off and go watch some cat videos on youtube then? Or maybe we’re just tired and kinda hungry. We should call it ‘til after lunch.” She says and Kylo looks up at him hopefully, eyes wide and vaguely pleading as Hux steps sideways and his foot tangles in a trailing cable.

He feels the box rock under him and tries to pull his leg back as he overbalances.

Maria shrieks as she steps back to avoid Hux’s foot as it swings out.

“Fuck!” Kylo says as he grabs Hux round the waist as he falls and spins them round to absorb the momentum and pulls Hux in close to himself. He makes a soft grunt as Hux’s camera hits his shoulder, and wraps his other arm over Hux’s chest. “Fuck! You ok, Bren?”

Hux shifts slightly in Kylo’s arms, the warmth of his body feeling lovely even through the many layers of fabric between them, and then he gives a soft groan as his brain registers the pain in his sides and ribs, and the tightness of having the wind squeezed out of him. “Ow.” Kylo lets go, and he slides the last few inches to the floor, wincing and turning in the still close circle of Kylo’s arms to face him. “That was not fun. Let's not do that ag… Ow.”

“Wow! That was terrifying, but well done on catching him. You’re so strong Kylo.” Maria trills stepping towards them.

Kylo doesn’t even turn his head, hands trembling slightly as adrenaline starts flooding his system. “You ok?” He asks again, softly, staring intently at Hux. “You’re really skinny.” He mutters under his breath.

“Need to eat more cake, get more padding.” Hux manages a weak smile, rubbing slightly at his side, and turning slightly so he can lift his shirt and see if there’s any damage. His pale skin is slightly reddened and he goes to put the shirt back down when he catches Kylo staring at his chest, tongue flicking out to wet his bottom lip and eyes wide.

“Are you ok Mr. Hux?” Maria asks, standing too close to Kylo for comfort and barely even looking at Hux in favour of staring at Kylo in awe.

“We should eat, and then I’ll try to repeat the swan dive trick again.” Hux answers. The door to the studio creaking slightly as it opens and Mitaka returns with the food.

“You should try the Dirty Dancing jump for the encore.” Kylo laughs shakily, waiting for Maria to cross in front of them before his large hand presses gently against the curve of Hux’s back and strokes just once, quickly. “Coffee pet! Please tell me there are no olives in this batch of sandwiches!” He enthuses, slightly overeager in grabbing at the wax papered bundle Mitaka throws to him with a smile.

Hux sees the slight shake in his hand and lets his hand brush across the jut of Kylo’s hip reassuringly, as he moves around him and sits down with his own sandwich.

\--

Mitaka walks Maria down to meet her cab after the shoot, leaving Kylo and Hux alone as Kylo changes back into his own clothes.

“I’ve got to go to a meeting, hush hush, I’m sure you understand.” He pokes his tongue out slightly as he jumps lightly to settle his jeans comfortably. “But I can pick up food on the way back? There’s a nice Thai place on the way, if you eat Thai? Or we could get pizza? Chocolate cake?”

“Thai sounds good.”

“Unless you want to go out? Oh, wait, first date I’m supposed to take you out, show you a good time. Uh…” Kylo pauses, hands at his belt at he looks into thin air. “I should have planned something fun. Got tickets to Hamilton or something. I could make some calls. Well, a call. To Phasma and see if she can get us into something. Or arrange a table…”

Hux steps closer, reaching out a hand to rest on Kylo’s. “Hey. Hey, it’s ok. Don’t overthink it. I have wine, you bring food, and we can talk. Or watch a movie, listen to music. Oooh, we could make papier mache with that newsagent worth of gossip rags I bought earlier today.” Hux smiles as Kylo shakes his head slightly and looks at him.

“That… Yeah. That sounds really nice. Um, I do have a question though.”

“42.” Hux says earnestly, nodding his head once and then grinning broadly.

Kylo laughs quietly, face blushing slightly as he looks down at the floor briefly and takes a deep breath. “Can I kiss you? Because I’m kinda anxious about the meeting and I think it might calm me down. Give me something good to think about.”

Hux runs his pointer finger up the centre of Kylo’s chest, rumpling the fabric of his t-shirt. He lets his palm curve around the back of Kylo’s neck and pulls him slightly forward to kiss him. Kylo’s hand comes up and wraps around his waist as Hux presses forward slightly, using his tongue to part Kylo’s lips and press inside with a sinuous twist, letting his head tilt slightly. His hand slides up to tangle in Kylo’s hair and he pulls slightly, grinning as Kylo groans into the kiss, and then hissing as Kylo’s hand tightens on his waist and he flinches away.

Kylo pulls back, concern flashing across his face. “What’s… Did I hurt you?”

Hux pulls up the side of his shirt again and looks down at a steadily forming bruise, twisting slightly to show a matching darkening patch on the other side. Finger shaped marks curving around to his back. “Apparently falling into someone’s arms is less damaging in romantic novels.” Hux pokes at the bruise, wincing slightly. “I honestly don’t know what I thought that would feel like.”

“I’m sorry. Oh fuck, I’m so sorry.”

Hux laughs slightly. “Cracking my head on the floor would have been worse, I’ll be fine!” He waves the hand not still wrapped in Kylo’s hair carelessly, letting his shirt drop back down to cover the skin.

Kylo lets both of his large hands drift down to Hux’s hips and gently slide under the hem of his shirt, sliding the loose fabric up to reveal the bruising skin, wrapping his fingers around the middle of Hux’s ribs, and leaning forward with a slight shuffle back to allow him some room to press his mouth to the middle of Hux’s stomach.

He presses a small kiss to the skin before moving slightly to the side and repeating the motion. Letting himself drift across the span of Hux’s waist and scattering small pecks across the fluttering skin, smiling as Hux laughs breathily above him, his long fingered hand still wrapped in Kylo’s gentle curls.

He moves from the centre to the left, following the path back across to the right and then back to the centre, before pulling away totally and meeting Hux’s gaze as he stands up, his hands releasing Hux’s shirt so it falls back down. “I should go. But I’ll be back as soon as I’m done. Don’t fall off anything else unless I’m here to catch you, ok?”

Hux pulls his hair slightly in retaliation. “Go, make deals in smoky rooms full of people ogling you. And then return with food, so I can do some more ogling, but with sticky rice and lemongrass.” Kylo presses a soft kiss to his lips and walks past Hux. Leaving the studio with a quick look over his shoulder as he grabs his coat.

Hux slumps slightly, twitching back to standing straight with a small gasp. “I’m screwed.” He mutters, falling into a chair and opening the laptop to start going through the pictures from the shoot.

\--

Hux’s head falls back as he laughs loudly, curled up into the corner of his small sofa. Kylo sat next to him. “Refill?” He asks reaching for the bottle of wine sat amongst the takeaway cartons on the low table in front of them, at Hux’s nod Kylo grabs it.

“I’m not sure we should drink more after this though, I tend to make bad decisions after too much red wine. Like sending strange men pictures of my handcuffs.” Hux smiles widely as Kylo’s hand twitches slightly, nearly spilling wine over them both before catching himself and topping up their glasses.

“‘Strange men’? Does that mean you’ve sent it to several people? Should I be insanely jealous and prepare to defend myself from all your ravenous suitors?” Kylo asks as he replaces the bottle on the table, curling further round in the opposite corner. He reaches out a hand to curve around Hux’s bare ankle and lifts it gently to straighten his leg and lay them over his, letting Hux move the other foot himself to tuck behind Kylo’s knees so they’re tangled together.

“No ravenous suitors. No moderately interested suitors to be honest.” Hux mock pouts, sticking his lower lip out before taking a sip of wine with a small huff of laughter.

Kylo lets his hand slide up Hux’s leg and stroke gently over the back of his thigh. “So, I could have you all to myself then?”

“No one is going to fight you for me. If that’s what you mean. Though I might consider taking up kickboxing. I’m pretty sure Maria could kill me with a high heeled shoe and a mascara wand.”

“I’m not sure why you’d need to fight anyone?”

“Because…” Hux waves his wine glass at Kylo. “You look like that.” He says before sighing loudly.

Kylo narrows his eyes slightly and tilts his head in confusion, uncurling enough to put his glass down. “I’m really…”

“If I apologise for being a mess of anxiety and self-loathing will that explain anything or just mean I’d have to give you a backstory?” Hux asks quickly, looking anywhere but at Kylo and taking a large gulp of wine to stop him saying anymore.

Kylo rubs both hands on Hux’s thighs, working his way up higher towards his slim hips. “No need to apologise. Though I am concerned how much of this is your own anxiety and how much is you reading a hundred gossip magazines and deciding I’m a massive flirt.”

“The first time we met, you _were_ a massive flirt! You called me ‘Daddy’!”

“I wasn’t wearing a lot of clothing, I thought it would lighten the mood if I joked! It was an unconscious response to hot person staring intently at me. Which apparently you decided meant I was trying to get a leg up in the industry by getting a leg over.” Kylo scrubs a hand over his face and shoves his hair back before continuing. “Honestly? I was just uncomfortable for a while and then everyone was joking and it felt really nice. No one was shouting, or trying to cover me in an entire Sephora. I didn’t have a wedgie from those ridiculous modesty thongs.”

Hux leans over to put his wine down, almost overbalancing and laughing with a wince when Kylo’s hand grabs his waist to stop him slipping. “It was a fun shoot, you looked stunning. Doph wanted copies to wallpaper the bedroom ceiling with.”

Kylo laughs, sliding Hux closer with his large hands over his hips. “Who is Doph?”

“Mitaka. His first names Dopheld. Oh and he hates being called Mits!”

“But Maria?”

“She used to call him Mitsi, he considers it a step up. Unfortunately he’s not single or he totally would have wallpapered the ceiling. It would have been part you, part Ryan Gosling and a few pictures of Zac Efron. You would have been in good company. You should totally talk to him about his…” Kylo presses a finger to Hux’s lips and waits for him to stop talking, smiling at the angry look Hux gives him.

“Sorry.” He laughs slightly. “Is there a reason why you’re talking about your assistant? I mean, he’s awesome, but honestly I’m more interested in what you wanted to do with the pictures.”

“Oh. Um, nothing?” Hux says sheepishly, going slightly red under Kylo’s scrutiny. “I wanted to pop the top button of the jeans, drop them round your ankles and fuck you over the table if I’m honest.” Hux’s voice seems to drop lower, getting quieter and deeper as he talks. “Can’t do that with a picture.” He finishes, pressing into the hand Kylo wraps around the back of his neck. Flush spreading down his throat.

Kylo swallows slightly. “And you didn’t do that because?”

“I don’t really do exhibitionism, or quick fucks with models over sets.” Kylo pushes closer as Hux speaks, pulling at his hip so he slides lower and Kylo can curl over him and press his soft lips to Hux’s pulse. Tongue slipping out to push against the fluttering skin and teeth dragging over the damp skin.

“What about slow fucks with models? Slow, long, drawn out, fucks that leave you whimpering and trembling and begging? Do you do those?” Kylo peppers the words with kisses and licks, pressing the syllables into Hux’s skin as he moves down the side of his throat, and drinking in every moan Hux makes just above him.

Hux brings a trembling hand up to Kylo’s head, pressing into his hair, the other reaching down for the hem of Kylo’s tight t-shirt, trying to pull it up and off and grunting in annoyance when it gets stuck. “Off, now.” He manages, pulling at the shirt hard enough he hears a few stitches give and break and sighing when Kylo pulls back enough to wrench it over his head. His hands wrapping back over Hux as soon as the shirt hits the floor. “Fuck, you’re… Fuck!” Hux groans as Kylo nips at the skin above the collar of his button down, hand leaving his hip to start pulling at the fastenings.

“How far down does this flush go?” Kylo asks as he shoves Hux’s shirt open and starts trailing his mouth down Hux’s chest. He slides his knees under him, and straddles Hux on the small sofa, shoving Hux’s shirt off fully as he strokes the point of his tongue over an erect nipple. Nipping gently at the pink nub as Hux buries his other hand in Kylo’s hair and pulls. Kylo groans and bites down harder in retaliation, smiling around the mouthful of skin, and glancing up to see Hux’s head thrown back against the arm of the couch. “It seems to go all the way down. Is that normal for you? Or just specially for me?”

“Do you ever stop talking?” Hux groans, pulling Kylo’s head up so he can kiss him, wrapping a long leg over his hip and using it to pull Kylo down and grind up against him. Denim scratching against denim as he moves.

Kylo’s moans into the kiss, tongue slipping out to tangle with Hux’s briefly, before biting at Hux’s bottom lip. “Do you want me to stop talking?” He asks as a hand makes its way to the bruises on Hux’s waist, running gentle fingers over the sensitive skin and fluttering around the edges of the marks.

“Fuck, no.”

“I feel bad about these you know, but also not. I like the memory of catching you. Knowing this matches my arm. That these match my fingers.” He rests the length of his hand around Hux’s waist and lets his fingers line up with the bruises on his back with a gentle push. Hux whimpers gently, pressing against his hand with a curve of his back and grinding up again. “I really want to fuck you. Want to spread you open on my fingers, and make you beg for it. Wet and dripping over yourself.”

“Fuck!” Hux cries. “Do you have… Condom?”

“Do you not?” Kylo asks, kissing Hux hard as his hand slides down the back of his jeans and presses against his bum over his underwear.

Hux laughs high and breathy. “Nope, been too long since I… Anyway. No.”

Kylo lets the pad of his finger press between Hux’s cheeks and strokes over him, rubbing the fabric against his puckered entrance slowly. “I mean, I’m clean, if you want… But, I get it. I could blow you?”

Hux thrusts his hips up again, pressing back against the slow path of Kylo’s finger with another whimper. “No, that’s… Fuck. Do you think this is why people don’t fuck on a first date? Lack of preparation? Foresight? Valid printouts of test results?”

Kylo presses against him harder. Pushing his hips down to hold Hux still against the sofa and grind hard. He pulls his hand out getting both between them and starting to work open their jeans. “The fact you can say ‘valid printouts’ means I’m not doing well enough at this point. I’ve got an idea.” Kylo manages to shove their jeans and underwear down and out of the way enough to get a large hand wrapped around them both. His thumb slipping over the heads of their cocks with gentle circles and grunting when Hux’s hands tighten in his hair. “Do you have a thing for my hair?”

“Absolutely. Fuck, Kylo. Faster.”

Kylo is wide and long and the angle he’s at means the head of Hux’s cock presses into the sensitive spot under the head of his own, his hips rolling down to shove them through his hands. He smears precome away almost as soon as it beads on the heads, swiping it down their lengths, and letting his fingertips play with the edge of Hux’s foreskin, stretching it slightly and pushing it down and back up over the head of Hux’s cock.

Hux’s hands spasm and pull harder as he gets closer. “Keep talking to me. Please.” He mutters as he gasps beneath Kylo, kissing him harder between thrusts of his hips.

“I’d have three fingers in you by this point, pressed against you hard, spreading you open slow and thorough. Then I could just slide in, wrap my hands around your waist, your hips and yank you down onto me. You’re so fucking skinny, I could probably wrap my fingers around you and they’d meet, just use you. Drag a leg up onto my shoulder so I could really fuck you.” Kylo’s hand speeds up between them, tightening on the upstroke with a slight twist. “Have you begging. I’d go deep and slow and keep you on the edge until you were crying.”

“Really? I think I can last… Fuck, ple… Kylo.” Hux kisses him, missing his mouth and sloppily catching the corner as Kylo rests his weight on him, angling the grip slightly with his hand so their cocks rub against the curve of his abdomen as he holds Hux down.

“Maybe you could, for a while. You’d break. I’d have to be careful though, you’re so sharp I’d probably get bruises. Have to cover them up for shoots. But you’d know they were there, I’d know they were there. Dark blooms in bouquets scattered across me. I’d leave teeth marks on your shoulder, one on the back of your neck where your camera strap sits, so you’d feel it all day. Feel me all day.”

Hux comes with a sharp cry, back curling, and head falling back. He pulls Kylo’s head to his neck and groans when Kylo bites down, worrying the skin between his teeth as Hux spills between them, come slicking Kylo’s hand so he can pull faster, dragging Hux’s orgasm out as the smaller man starts to tremble against him. “Hurts, please, don’t stop. Just… Fuck.” Hux is mumbling above him, as Kylo starts to come. Hand going tight and fast and Hux shouts out as Kylo bites down again.

“Bren, fuck Bren.” Kylo manages to mutter as he slumps down, smearing their come between their stomachs and pressing soft kisses in the red skin of Hux’s throat. Sighing gently when Hux’s hands loosen their grip on his hair and flop down at their sides. “Fuck.”

“Well. That was exciting.” Hux deadpans, sighing softly as Kylo shifts and their spent cocks slide against each other. Kylo slaps his hip with a wet hand and grins. “You’re disgusting.”

\--

Kylo rolls in his sleep, hair damp against the pillow as he presses his face to Hux’s chest with a small whimper. His feet tangling in the sheets as Hux starts to rouse against him. Kylo’s whimpering increases, his knees pulling up as his foot twitches out. He gasps wetly against Hux’s skin.

“Ky… What? Ow.” Hux mutters as Kylo kicks out, catching him in the shin and gasping awake with an unintelligible shout. “Hey, hey. It’s ok.” Hux mumbles, stroking his hand down Kylo’s shoulder gently and feeling him tremble against him.

Kylo sniffs, pulling back and looking up at Hux. “I, uh, I’m sorry. Maybe this was a bad idea. I don’t sleep…”

Hux shushes him, wrapping his arms around Kylo’s back and pulling him close, lying down so Kylo can rest his head on his chest. “Is this ok?” Hux asks, stroking his hair back from his face. “Do you wanna try sleeping again or talk for a bit?”

“Maybe I should go.” Kylo says softly, as he relaxes against Hux and presses his head against Hux’s hand. “I don’t want to disturb you.”

“Do you want to go?” Hux says, letting his eyes slip closed as he tangles his fingers with the hand Kylo has splayed across his chest. “Because I don’t want you to go. But I’m not going to make you stay.” He lets his thumb stroke gently over Kylo’s hand. Gripping his fingers tighter.

“Good, I mean, that you don’t want me to go. I… Maybe I’ll see what happens, if I wake up again, maybe I’ll go then.” Kylo’s eyes close gently, his lashes brushing against Hux’s chest.

Kylo’s breathing evens out slowly, his leg pressing against Hux’s as he sighs gently. Hux’s hand slowly stops stroking his hair, just resting and he blindly presses a kiss to the top of Kylo’s head. “Mmhmm, maybe.” He agrees as he falls asleep.

\--

Hux is moving the model into the right position, trying to curve his arm just right to match what the sketch in his hand looks like. “You know I’m starting to think this artist is of the opinion the human arm has an extra joint. Do you mind if I get a hammer and break it?” He asks the model snarkily.

The look he gets in return is full of fear and he feels the arm in his hands tense. “I mean, I’d rather you didn’t to be honest.” The model says with a tremble in his voice, and Hux lets his eyes slip closed briefly.

“I was joking, it’s fine. Take a seat, I’ll see if I can get the idiot on the phone and fix this. Yeah, right there is fine.” He says bewildered as the model sits crossed legged on the floor with a sigh. “You know we do have chairs?” Hux says as he crosses the office to the desk where Mitaka is staring wide-eyed at a computer screen. “What is wrong with you?”

“Uh, Boss…” Shaking his head slightly, Mitaka finally looks away from the screen, eyes still wide and unblinking. “What do you need?”

“What’s wrong? You look odd.”

“Kylo.” Mitaka’s face breaks into a wide grin, a giggle catching in his throat as he waves a hand at the screen. “He sent you an email.” Hux walks around the desk as Mitaka crumples laughing into the chair.

“What the… I’m going to… This isn’t normal, right? I’ve not been out of the dating pool so long that this is normal?” Hux looks down at Mitaka, hand going to his hair as he sighs. “Can you contact the idiot who sketched this ‘must have’ pose and find out if he’s aware how anatomy works? And I’ll contact this idiot and find out if he’s aware how professionalism works!”

Mitaka’s laughter follows him across the studio, and he waves a hand at the model when he tries to stand up. “Stay!” he calls as he strides up the spiral staircase and into his apartment, pulling his phone from his pocket and dialing it, tapping the screen to switch to speakerphone and puts it down on the coffee table as he paces around it.

“Hi.”

“You emailed your STD test results to my work email.” Hux says tightly, trying to breath calmly.

“Am I on speakerphone? I really hate speakerphone.” Kylo says, his voice slightly tinny.

Hux groans quietly. “You’re on speaker so I don’t punt the phone through the window. My WORK email Kylo!”

“Well, I was going to put it on in Instagram. But you don’t actually follow me on there, so.”

“Mitaka saw them!” Hux nearly shouts as he slumps onto the couch.

Kylo laughs. “Well, it’s not like he didn’t know! And he did send me a really quite terrifying email detailing how he’d destroy my career if I hurt you, and how his tiny, yet equally as terrifying husband would destroy everything else. So this way I’m covering two bases. Also it’s why I put the poop emoji in there, it’s his favourite.”

“Two bases?” Hux says quietly, staring at his phone with a smile quirking up the corners of his lips.

Kylo’s voice get’s slightly lower and quieter, and Hux leans forward to hear better. “Well yeah, I get to reassure Mitaka, and then I get to come over tonight stretch you open with my tongue in your ass, fuck you ‘til you cry and come all over yourself.”

Hux’s breathing speeds up, his face flushing as he shifts in his seat. “I have to go back downstairs and finish a shoot in a minute, maybe you should stop talking?” He groans as Kylo laughs filthily.

“So it’d be best for me to not tell you how much I want to lick every drop of my come back out of you til you’re hard again? I’ve got like three days worth of stubble for a shoot at the moment, so when I drag you into my lap and make you ride me, you’ll be red and rubbed raw from it. Swollen and puffy around me. So wet and open. It’ll be filthy. I shouldn’t tell you that part? You’re probably right, it’s for the best really.” Kylo has a growl curling in the back of his words, and Hux presses the heel of his palm down against his half hard cock.

“I hate you. Mind like a gutter I swear.” Hux blushes at the whimper in his voice, grinding down against the crossbeam of the couch.

Kylo laughs again. “So, you don’t want me to come over tonight? Ok, well I can just lie in my big empty bed and stroke myself all alone. Thinking about all of that.” There’s a wet noise down the phone and Hux shivers.

“I’ll be done in three hours. Bring pizza.” Hux ends the call to the sound of Kylo’s high happy laughter and flops back in the seat. “Professionalism? Yeah, I can do that.” He jumps as a high pitched buzz sounds in the apartment and looks towards the small speaker box on the spiral staircase. He drags himself from the couch, stumbling slightly and trying to will his cock to relax and presses the answer button.

“You ok, Boss? I got that idiot on the phone, he said go with what you think is best, or as close as possible.”

“Right, good, I’ll be right down.” He releases the button and looks down at himself. “Hopefully.” He mutters to himself with a smirk.

\--

“Doph, do you know what Kylo’s secret instagram account is called? I found his official, got slightly terrified by the 14 year olds apparently declaring their love via vomiting emojis at him, and now I can’t find the secret one. Though someone has offered to trade me following them for it, which is…” Hux trails off, waving his hand in the air instead of finishing and turns to look at Mitaka.

Mitaka gasps, bringing his hand over his mouth and making his eyes widen. “Did he not tell you? Oh, trouble in paradise! The horror.” He laughs as he swings his coat on. “It’s BadBaesBall.”

“Private account, with the name ‘Zebedee Dylan’?”

“Yeah, that’ll be it, he’s gone on a bit of a Magic Roundabout spree recently, lots of 4am posts about how Dougal had it going on.” Mitaka winks at him, grinning broadly. “He apparently tried to watch the French version, but didn’t quite get it. I’m going home now. Have an excellent evening!” Mitaka moves towards the door, stopping when Hux takes a deep breath.

Hux lets the breath out slowly, “Can I ask you something? As a friend.”

Mitaka grins, moving to sit against the back of the sofa and beckoning to Hux to continue.

“Is this unprofessional? He’s a model, I’m the photographer, I mean it’s not directly problematic, but it seems… Unseemly.”

“You like him, he likes you, you’re both adults. People meet through work all the time. I met Than through work, remember. Do you want to end it then?” He asks, concernedly leaning forward.

Hux stiffens. “No!” He almost shouts, catching himself and slumping in the seat. “No, I just, I’m worried that he’ll get bored, or find someone better. Or he’ll decide this is unprofessional, and I want to be able to argue my case.” He finishes quietly, looking down at his hands.

“Then you’ll be absolutely fine. And if you’re not, well I’ll send Than after him and we can even dispose of the body in the hospital furnace. No one will ever know.”

Hux grins after a few seconds, looking up to meet Mitaka’s eyes. “Excellent, so I should basically tell him, stay with me and you’ll be fine, but leave me and I cannot be held responsible for the actions of a nurse with access to sharp things and an incinerator. I’m sure that’ll go over swimmingly.” He laughs as Mitaka nods sharply.

“And now, fair Dougal, I’m going home to tacos and Project Runway. Zac Posen isn’t going to stare longingly at himself.” Mitaka laughs as he climbs over the back of the sofa and heads out the door with a wave and a loud expletive.

“I did not break the coffee pet. Honest.” Kylo says as he walks in the door hands up in a calming gesture and smiling broadly. “Hey.”

Hux grins and scoots the rolling chair across the floor to meet Kylo in the middle. “I would stand up, but my left bum cheek has gone numb and I might walk a bit weird, so I figured weird sliding along the floor was, somehow, better.” He looks up at Kylo through his eyelashes, batting them coquettishly with a laugh. “Hey, yourself.”

“Pizza will be delivered shortly, well, we’ve got like two hours. Which I figure is long enough to fuck you into the bed, carry out my dastardly plan and put pants back on so I don’t scandalise the delivery guy. Now, with the numb anatomy would you like me to carry you bridal style? We could try a fireman’s lift?”

“I’m not sure either of those would work with the spiral staircase, might have to go out the front way.”

“I could knock you out and drag, but that isn’t overly helpful when I get you up there.” Kylo’s eyes go bright and he grins down at Hux. “I could make you crawl, naked and hard from the humiliation.”

Hux tilts his head slightly and shakes it. “Not my thing. I’m hoping that’s a joke if I’m honest.”

Kylo ruffles his hair. “Slightly. I’m better on my knees I think. Kinda miss carpet burns you can feel the day after. And there’s something to be said for someone fucking your throat hard and leaving you gasping.” He winks and lets his long thick fingers tickle down the back of Hux’s neck as he gapes up at him.

Hux stands with a wince, stamping his foot against the floor to try and get the blood flowing. “You’re going to kill me. You’re going to say something and my heart is going to… Hey, what’s up?” Kylo freezes in front of him, mouth opening slightly. “Kylo? Hey.” Hux touches his shoulder slightly and Kylo jumps, flinching away with a gasp.

“Sorry. I was… Somewhere else. It’s fine, I’m fine, where were we?” Kylo closes his eyes quickly, twisting his lips into a smile and reaching out for Hux.

Hux lets himself be pulled forward to press against him and wraps his arms gently around Kylo’s back. “You can tell me? If you want to.”

“Put your arms around my neck.” Kylo says opening his eyes, reaching down to lift Hux’s legs up and encourage them to wrap around his hips. “This should work for carrying you upstairs. Just hold on tightly.”

Hux wraps around him, pressing a kiss to the side of Kylo’s throat and burying his face in the curve of his shoulder, gasping slightly as Kylo slaps his arse hard with a laugh. Wrapping his arm around Hux’s lower back and striding towards the staircase.

He pauses briefly at the bottom of them, pressing his lips to the skin behind Hux’s ear and whispering “I’ll tell you sometime, I promise.” Before kissing the lobe and starting up the stairs.

\--

Hux is on the bed biting the pillow and shoving his hips back onto Kylo’s mouth, whimpering as heavy slick noises fill the air and Kylo’s tongue works his way inside him. The tip dragging against his muscles as he circles it just inside Hux’s entrance.

He groans when Kylo laughs against him, the vibration travelling through him and making his cock twitch against his leg. He leans slightly into the hand Kylo has stroking his thigh, hard enough that it doesn’t tickle his over sensitive skin. He whimpers as Kylo slips his tongue out and pulls back slightly. “You’re already getting red.” He says softly, running a nail over the beard chaffed skin around Hux’s hole and smiling as Hux tries to pull away briefly before shoving back against him. He watches as a drip of come starts to slide out, leaning down and catching it on his tongue.

“Fuck, please, Kylo.” Hux cries out, the words blurring into each other as the pointed tip of Kylo’s tongue traces over his perineum and down to his balls before flattening out and swiping back up in a rough stripe. He presses into Kylo’s hands as they grab and spread him open so Kylo can slide his tongue in as far as he can, thrusting it quickly as Hux tries to move back against the hold. Groaning at the filthy drip of spit against him, as Kylo presses his lips around his rim, slipping his tongue out and sucking as it withdraws. “Please. More. Please. Ky…”

The piercing ring of the intercom makes Hux jump and swear loudly. “No. Nonono, please don’t.” He whimpers as Kylo pulls back.

“Hmm, they’re early. I will be right back, don’t go anywhere.” Hux slumps to the bed, twitching and rubbing his half hard cock against the damp sheets beneath him. He squeaks when Kylo slaps his bare arse hard and hears him pull up his jeans as he runs down the stairs.

He manages to lift his head from the pillow and twists to look down at himself, at the slick mess of spit and lube that spreads from his lower back to his thighs, and the stark red handprint blooming on his cheek. He can see the red tinged skin, and feel the burn from Kylo’s beard and he flops back to the bed with a pleased grin on his face.

He drifts until he hears Kylo coming back up the stairs, bare feet slapping against the metal steps and the smell of pizza flooding the apartment. He leans his head down slightly to see Kylo dump the boxes on the kitchen counter and smiles as he turns towards the bed. “You ok over there?”

“Mmm.” Hux hums, weakly patting the bed.

Kylo laughs and crosses the apartment slowly. “Pizza or sex, Bren? I mean you could ride me fast til we get off and then I could feed you pizza as you lie there unable to move if you’d like. You’re looking pretty well fucked at this point, and I can always try again in the morning. I’m honestly not sure you could even summon the energy to ride me. Which would be a shame.”

Hux glares up at him weakly, shifting to the side of the bed and pointing at the mattress. “Sit the fuck down, I’ll show you unable to summon the energy.” Hux reaches out and tugs Kylo down, laughing as he drags him onto the bed.

“Well, I mean you are older than me after all. I’d hate for you to break a hip.”

“Bastard!” Hux shoves him against the headboard, getting shakily to his knees and swinging a leg over Kylo’s thighs. He pulls the button fly of Kylo’s jeans open and reaches in to grab his cock and stroke it roughly, using the bucking of Kylo’s hips to shove his jeans down his thighs. “Two years, you smug git. Two fucking years!” He lines the head of Kylo’s cock up with his slick loose hole and shoves down, groaning loudly as it spreads him wide and fills him quickly.

“You feel huge. Fuck. I mean yeah. But you feel bigger.” Hux mutters as he settles into the cup of Kylo’s hips, circling slowly and rising up a few inches to shove back down at a better angle, throwing his head back as Kylo rubs across his prostate hard.

“You're going to do wonders for my ego. I'm going to have to wreck you first every time now.”  
Kylo rolls his hips under Hux, gripping into the scant meat of the back of his thighs to help Hux lift and letting him drop down. “Fuck. An ex used to refer to it as the baseball team.” Kylo says as Hux lifts up again and drops down with a sigh. His thighs trembling with the strain.

“I won't be calling your cock that.” Hux bites out as he lets his hands fall to Kylo’s shoulders for the extra leverage.

Kylo laughs. Lifting Hux and holding him still. Grinning as Hux shivers at the press of his wide cockhead against Hux’s entrance.

“I feel like I should be annoyed you can just move me.”

“It's hot though. I can see everything I do because you're so pale and I could fuck you against the wall while reading a book. Or fuck you into unconsciousness and then carry your limp come spattered body to bed.”

Hux clenches around Kylo. His cock twitching hard and pulsing precome onto Kylo's stomach. “Please, Ky…” Hux shouts out as Kylo pulls him down as he shoves up. “Thought I was supposed to be riding you?”

“Well, you’re trembling like a leaf, I thought I’d help. I can stop if you’d like, let you take charge.”

Hux slides one hand up to grip at Kylo’s hair and shifts slightly with a groan to get his knees under him more, his thighs spread obscenely wide around Kylo’s hips as he uses his grip on Kylo’s hair and shoulder to lift himself and shove down hard. He pulls Kylo close, nipping gently at his ear as he slides down again. “You’d give up control? That seems unlikely.”

Kylo whines as he rolls his hips down, circling hard when he’s fully seated. “Not really. Prefer it.”

“You’d let me use you? I thought you wanted to use me? Fuck me unconscious and carry me to bed? Leave me squirming and writhing in my seat tomorrow?”

“Want to make you feel good, fuck Bren please, faster. Want to see what we did.” Kylo presses hard kisses to Hux’s throat, biting gently and scratching his teeth along the skin in random patterns.

“And I can’t leave marks on you.” Hux says quietly. Getting it as he thrusts down again. Letting gravity help as his legs tremble harder. “So you wanna mark me, be reminded that it happened, it was real.”

“Fuck, yes.” Kylo groans against him, biting down slightly harder. “Kiss me, please. Bren, please.”

Hux pulls back slightly and bites at Kylo’s plump bottom lip, dragging it between his own and licking along it with the tip of his tongue, before pressing forward and slipping it between Kylo’s lips. His hips keep moving, Kylo’s hands wrapping around the back and he can feel as they push bruises into his skin, he starts clenching his muscles as he pulls up, gripping around the ridge under Kylo’s head and then sliding down quickly. He breaks the kiss long enough to mutter, “touch me, please. Please.” And sighs back into Kylo’s mouth as his hand wraps around Hux’s shaft, the thumb circling the head and pulling his foreskin down gently, thumbing at his slit.

Hux speeds up as much as he can, shoving back onto Kylo’s cock and forward into his hand as he shoves Kylo against the headboard and lets his tongue stroke over the soft roof of his mouth, panting harshly as he feels his stomach start to tighten, and his come start to pulse over Kylo’s hand. He pushes down, crying out as he tightens around Kylo’s thick cock and lets his head fall back, whimpering as Kylo’s mouth continues kissing his throat, his wide hand tightening and dragging Hux’s orgasm out longer, and he feels Kylo start to come inside him, hot and slick in slow bursts, his hips twitching under Hux.

“Fuck, fuck, Bren, fuck.”

Hux lets his hand stroke through Kylo’s hair as he comes back to himself slightly, muttering nonsense at the ceiling until he manages to roll his head around and press a kiss to sweaty tangled curls. “It’s ok, I’m here. It’s ok.” He lets the words tumble over each other til none of it makes any sense as Kylo’s hand strokes his back and their breathing slowly comes back to normal.

“Pizza?” Kylo says quietly, not moving at all other than to stroke at Hux.

Hux laughs and kisses his lips again, sighing as he presses their foreheads together. “I suppose afterglow is made better with melted cheese and carbs. Unless it’s one of those fucking cauliflower crusts?”

Kylo grins against him and hugs harder.

\--

“Your private Instagram has like forty thousand followers, and it’s all puns? Oh shit, I’m sleeping with a teenager!” Hux groans as he flops onto the bed, listening to Kylo’s low laugh from under the covers. Taking a bite out of the now cold slice of pizza, boxers hanging low on his hips.

“In my defence.” He says, poking his head up and shaking his hair out of his eyes. “I’m an idiot, remember?”

Hux smiles broadly, cuffing Kylo round the back of the head as he continues to scroll through the posts. “Somehow the ‘#FoucaultOnFleek’ post would bely that. Is that a first edition?”

“Yeah, I bought it for my ‘shit I’ll argue is an investment but honestly I just thought would make me look deep for picking up chicks’ collection. The ‘#ArmCandy’ one is to make me look sweet enough to eat.” Kylo wiggles his eyebrows ridiculously and curls up giggling, grinning when Hux holds the slice out towards him and grabbing a chunk quickly.

“‘#PhởTwoOfTheDay’?” Hux asks, raising one eyebrow questioningly and taking another bite of pizza.

Kylo rolls onto his back, folding his hands under his head and sighing wistfully. “That was a good day. So much food.” He glances towards Hux and opens his mouth wide, groaning as Hux waves the remaining bit of the slice just out of his reach and shunting forward to grab a piece.

“You are useless after sex, it’s slightly endearing.” Hux scrolls a bit further. “‘#WakeUpMeeple’?”

Kylo reaches over and snatches the pizza crust, taking a big bite and talking with his mouth full. “The little things are called meeples, you use them to play board games.”

“I know what they are! Did you make them beds out of matchboxes and kitchen roll?”

Kylo swallows and curls into Hux’s side. “Yeah, I was bored.” He yelps slightly as Hux smacks his shoulder and then starts laughing and pressing soft kisses into the jut of Hux’s hip. He holds out a hand and points at the phone, making a ‘gimme’ gesture and glancing up with one eye as he scrolls through the feed quickly. “This is my favourite I think.” He hands the phone back almost tentatively and presses another kiss to Hux’s hip.

“‘Well sHux Dougal. I like you too. #GingerBae.’” Hux looks down at Kylo and then back at the stop motion dog on the screen, the corner of his mouth curving in a fond smile, and ruffles Kylo’s hair with his hand, digging his fingertips in and massaging slightly till Kylo groans in pleasure. “I’m glad you like me. Enough to get me more pizza though?” Kylo wraps his arms around Hux’s waist and squeeze him.

“Not moving.”

Hux’s smile widens and he folds his legs under the crumpled sheets. “Ok, no moving.”

\--

Hux stands at one of the windows, staring across the street as Mitaka walks in holding a bagel and drinking coffee. “You’ve seen it then?” He mumbles around his mouthful of food.

Hux starts slightly, turning towards him sharply and relaxing when he registers who it is. “‘Embrace the darkness’?” He asks, annoyance flooding his tone. “Did we agree to this bollocks?”

“They have the rights for the pictures if they use them, that’s what the contract says, and any modifications made for advertising are their right as well. I’ve seen three on the way over. They picked some nice shots.” He shrugs as he sets down the coffee and holds the bag out to Hux.

Hux takes a generous swig and sighs. “But honestly, ‘Embrace the Darkness’... All they’ve done is fuck the contrast up. He looks like he’s sparkling!”

Mitaka joins him at the window and looks across at the billboard. Tiny pinpricks of reflected light scattered down Kylo’s broad back as he leans over the dark table, glancing sideways to meet the onlookers gaze regardless of angle with a small smile on his face. The shadows are deep and dark, and the jeans look as if they are staying up by sheer force of will, loose and obscuring Kylo’s real shape in their folds.

“You gotta admit though, he looks hot like that. And you did make that comment about the Twilight fanbase being all grown up by now.”

Hux glares at the picture. “He looks hot whatever he does, the other… Well. Quite.” Hux blushes slightly, shaking his hand and swallowing down his coffee and ignoring Mitaka’s laugh. “I’ll have to send him a photo in a bit, he’s in the Caribbean this week, shooting underwear with lots of lithe ladies. And something about Esquire.”

“You’re ok with this?”

“I’m not going to demand he stop his career just in case. Aren’t you concerned about Than being around undressed people?” Hux asks, grabbing a bagel from the bag and taking a big bite. Stopping to pull a piece of wax paper from his lip with a grimace as Mitaka smirks at him.

“Oh yes, all those gunshots and stab wounds really add to the mystique. And the drug overdoses really get him going when he looks at bruises and broken ribs.” He takes another bite of his bagel and swallows it too quickly, turning slightly flushed. “My husband isn’t hanging around on a beach surrounded by semi-naked underwear models. Nor is he a semi-naked underwear model. Though he absolutely could be.”

Hux smiles at the love in Mitaka’s voice, and glances out at the billboard again. “It’ll be fine, what’s the plan for today anyway?”

“The first of two and a half days of high energy cast shoots for new shows, and then a quick professional lookbook for Glamour in the other half. Fairly boring, but it pays my wages! Makeup and hair should be here soon, cast start arriving at ten thirty.”

Hux slumps slightly. “Well, doesn’t that sound riveting. I fear we’re going to need much coffee and many many pastries.”

He pulls the cord to drop the blind and hide the billboard, crosses the studio and starts setting up the lights.

\--

“... Got arrested again.” The model is loud, his voice booming and echoing over the studio as he calls across it. His colleague looking up from his own phone as he leans against the wall.

Mitaka glances across from trying to fix a third model’s makeup and waves a hand. “What was that, Poe?”

“Ren got arrested, just after Jinn agreed to work with him again. He’s claiming Ren came into his trailer and assaulted him, Ren’s of course denying it.” Poe says, scrolling through a report on his phone, seemingly oblivious to the way Mitaka’s face is darkening.

The female model in front of him coughs slightly, clearing her throat. “To be honest, Jinn is a dick. It would be entirely like him to wanna screw Kylo over again.”

The model against the wall laughs derisively. Looking up again from his phone. “Well, of course you’d say that, Ren charms every girl on a set. I was there when he threw that chair at Jinn though. Terrified everyone. Frankly he should be locked up. Preferably in a straitjacket.” He glances across at Poe with a smirk.

Mitaka finishes touching up the makeup and looks up as the door opens.

“I got coffees.” Hux says as he strolls in, carrying a stack of cups in trays and swinging a paper bag under them.

“You’ve met Ren, right? The jeans shoot.” Poe says, taking a tray and pulling his cup out of it’s hold.

Hux stops briefly, looking down slightly. “Kylo Ren? Yeah, I’ve met him.”

“Was he a lunatic with you?”

“Um, no? He seemed perfectly nice.” He says as he finishes handing out the cups.

Poe laughs. “‘Perfectly nice’? Well he’s been arrested again, so I don’t think that’s the best description! Whoa, you ok?”

Hux catches the coffee as it slips from his hand, and his mouth drops open. “Arr… Arrested? What for? Where? When?” He puts the cup down on the edge of the desk, hand trembling slightly.

“Maybe you should sit down, Boss? Those late nights must have taken it out of you.” Mitaka presses his hand to Hux’s shoulder and steers him round the desk to the seat.

“He was at the shoot in Martinique. Jinn came out of his trailer, with a black eye, claims that Ren attacked him. There’s a picture of him being led away in cuffs. Two cops dragging him off.” Poe reads from the screen again. “Oh I just got a message from Finn! Jinn’s claiming Ren went at him after waiting for him in his trailer. He’s telling the paps that are there he wants to keep it quiet, but Finn heard him ranting down the phone to his lawyer. He apparently wants Ren charged with ‘premeditated attempted murder’.”

Hux goes white, breathing deeply. “What’s Kylo saying?” He asks quietly as Mitaka pulls up as much information as he can find on the screens in front of them.

“He’s saying he didn’t do anything, ‘Sika believes him for some fucking reason.” Poe waves a hand at the female model.

Jessika flicks her middle finger up at him. “Jinn’s a creep, he doesn’t like Kylo because he called him on his shit.”

Poe laughs. “You believe that bull Phasma put out? It was clearly damage control. I’ve been on shoots with Jinn before, he’s never done anything that I’ve seen. You were there Rob, did you see anything?”

Jessika hops off the chair, clicking across the floor quickly and standing in front of Poe. “You’re always looking in a mirror, Rob isn’t aware of a world outside his iPhone, and neither of you have tits! Also, no one else was in that trailer, so we have no idea what happened, but until I spend weeks of shoots with Kylo calling people ‘sweet tits’ and ‘love’ constantly, and then lying about it when someone tells him to stop, I’m inclined to believe him.” She takes a deep breath, turning towards the desk. “You really don’t look well? Maybe you should call it and Doph can finish the last set up?” She smiles warmly at Hux.

“No, no it’s fine, we’ll finish up. Just a bit too much caffeine, I’ll be fine. Are we all set up?”

“Boss, I don’t think that’s a good idea, you do look a bit pale.”

Hux laughs coldly. “Yes, with my usual ruddy complexion it must be a shocking change.” He deadpans. Gripping the edge of the desk to hide the tremble in his hands. “Let's just finish this, and see what happens.”

\--

The door closes behind Poe, and Jessika helps Mitaka clear the coffee cups. “You should get some sleep Hux. You look wrecked. And I’m sure Kylo’ll be ok, he has a knack of things going his way.”

“I don’t care about Kylo, he’s an acquaintance, I mean why would I…” Hux blusters, waving a hand at Jessika dismissively as Mitaka gives him a flat look.

Jessika giggles, throwing a balled up napkin at his head. “You’re a terrible liar. Kylo’s a good guy, you could do worse in your flirtations.” She scoops her bag off the floor behind the screen and smiles back at the two men. “Doph, you still good to share a cab, no rush I’m just checking.”

“Yeah, I’m good. You gonna be ok Bren?”

Hux nods, waving towards the door and smiling weakly. “I should call Phasma, see if I can get any information about Kylo. Or just what, if anything, I can do. Maybe the police chief needs a wedding photographer.” He lets out a single harsh huff of laughter. “I’ll be fine, I’ll call you later Doph.”

He watches them leave, waving as the door closes and locking it behind them. Rushing to the phone and grabbing the handset while hitting the dialler button for Phasma.

“Nika? It’s Hux. Yeah, Bren Hux. He told you then?” He listens quietly, his free hand gripping the edge of the desk hard, and he winces as his hand spasms and a nail bends backwards. “I don’t understand, how is he supposed to have even gotten on to the shoot to be laying in wait if no one saw him? He’s not exactly sneaky at the best of times.”

He paces around the desk, slumping into the chair and sighing. “Yeah, I know, you’re doing everything you can. Just let me know if you hear anything, anyway I can help. I’m not big, but I can be scrappy. Just…” He lets a breath out slowly between his pursed lips. “Keep me in the loop.” He puts the phone down gently, letting his head fall into his hands and scrubbing at his hair.

“I need to sleep.” He says quietly. Standing up and crossing to the camera and laptop in the middle of the room. He grabs the laptop and closes it, carrying it upstairs with him and clicking the lights off in the studio.

\--

Hux sits at the bottom of the spiral staircase, turning his phone over and over in his hand, his foot tapping gently on the metal tread. He dials and presses the phone to to his cheek. “Hey, this is probably the 40th message in your box or something, whatever it’s called. I don’t know if you’re going to get these at all. There’s nothing new on the gossip sites. So I don’t know what’s happening. And honestly I’m scared. Because I can’t help and no one is telling me anything.” He takes a deep breath, running his hand through his hair. “I miss you. I just really fucking miss you. I miss your ridiculous messages and selfies. And if you can just let me know you’re ok, you can even use the poop emoji. Just. Be ok.” He hangs up. Swiping at his cheeks and grunting harshly.

\--

The sound of keys jingle outside the studio door and it swings open with a crash against the wall. Mitaka walks in, holding two cups of coffee and looking around the darkened studio. “Bren?” He calls out softly. “Hey Boss, you here?” He puts the coffee down on the desk, crossing the studio and standing at the bottom of the spiral staircase, looking up to see a closed hatch.

“We’re not booked til two this afternoon, so I’m going to go do some shopping, maybe get you a shiny new camera strap, won’t that be nice?” Mitaka laughs quietly. “It strikes me you might not even be here, and I’m talking to myself. Still talking to myself.” He raises his voice, shouting up at the hatch. “I’ll leave the liquid breakfast on the desk. Just drop me a message if you’ve drunk yourself to death on red wine. Or humped the dryer again.”

Mitaka starts back across the studio, and hears the sound of a latch and the slow slide of the hatch opening. “That was one time, and I was very very drunk. I am not very very drunk right now.” Hux says quietly, stepping down a few steps and sitting at the top of the stairs.

“Do I need to get the rolled up newspaper again? There’s no news that I can find, if he’d been charged with anything, we’d know. There are enough paparazzi and gossip vultures who call themselves reporters waiting around with fat expense accounts. ‘Sika heard from a few of the girls at the shoot last night. Apparently Jinn and Kylo got into it on the beach, and Jinn threatened him. The next day Kylo gets arrested. The police are trying to cover themselves in case of pressure, apparently Jinn has friends in high places.”

“Yeah, he’s been doing this a long time, photographed a lot of important people. Kylo’s screwed.” Hux groans slightly, resting his head against the bannister.

“Anyway, the girls on the shoot are arguing their case pretty loudly. The police are apparently investigating Jinn as much as they are investigating Kylo. But there’s nothing we can do that Phasma isn’t already doing. She went to the wall to protect him last time. So, have a shower, maybe shave? Unless you’re aiming for the bearded hobo look.”

“I thought maybe I wouldn’t shave til he comes back.” Hux scratches at his jaw, nails noisily dragging on the pale stubble.

Mitaka grins, putting his hand up to rub at his forehead briefly. “Please tell me it’s a sex thing? Just nod. Because if it’s a pity party thing I’m getting the newspaper.” Hux nods, blushing slightly. “Knew it. Right well, put some clean clothes on, we’ll go get some supplies, and be back after a quick lunch to make some hot people look hotter.”

Hux laughs and stands up to head towards the bathroom.

“Side question.” Mitaka calls up the stairs, and Hux pauses on the top step. “Have you considered bondage? Spanking? Aren’t you Brits supposed to be ‘extra kinky’? Gasmasks and leather lederhosen? Or is that the Germans?”

“We’re corporal punishment and repression. Lots of orgasm denial. Public humiliation at dinner parties, that sort of thing.” Hux says with a shrug, his blush deepening as Mitaka laughs loudly.

“I’m going to make a note to have a dinner party. I’m sure Kylo’ll have an excellent time.” He waggles his eyebrows as Hux blinks at him.

“You’re a terrible person.”

“Further question? Does he fit over your lap? I mean your legs are so skinny that can’t be comfy? Oooh, do you make him count?” Mitaka bounces on the balls of his feet, gleefully calling up the stairs.

Hux groans as he steps off the stairs and into the apartment. “Please stop. I’m not discussing my sex life. Also, you are absolutely a terrible person.”

“Oh… Oh my God! He spanks you! You love it you filthy beast!”

“Terrible! Person!” Hux shouts, shaking his head as he pulls his shirt off and heads towards the bathroom.

Mitaka picks up a cup as he reaches the desk, laughing intermittently. “Yep, totally getting spanked.”

\--

“Ok, well that looks highly impractical.” Hux says as Jessika leans back over the chair and lifts her leg high in front of her. “And painful?”

“Nah, it’s cool. As long as you take the pics quick.” She adds, glaring slightly at Hux as he starts rapidly clicking the shutter and grabbing pictures from as many angles as he can quickly. Jessika groans slightly as she lowers her leg at his thumbs up and pushes up from the chair. “Am I done for a minute? I need a bathroom break.”

“Yeah, take as long as you need, if you need any help I’ll… Uh… Send Doph in, probably.” Hux says with a shrug and a smirk. “Right, Barry?”

“Uh, me?” The young man curled up on a chair eating a protein bar asks, pointing at himself, and grinning as Hux nods. “It’s Bartleby, actually. But everyone calls me BB. So you could go with that?”

“Bartleby? Did your parents lose a bet?” Hux mutters under his breath, waving a hand at the chair. “Right, fun and flirty apparently for this look.” Hux grimaces at the bright orange in the viewfinder. “I might need to tinker with these.”

“B. Hux Photography?” Mitaka says as he answers the phone on the first ring. Eyes going slightly wide. “I… I’ll come right down? Yeah, I’ll come down and help.” He puts the phone down hurriedly and grabs his hooded jacket from the chair. “Boss, I gotta go, do a thing. I’ll be right back.”

“Wha…” Hux starts turning round to see Mitaka hurriedly leaving the studio and sighing before turning back to Bartleby. “Right, BB, fun, flirty, happy… Orange.”

The door to the studio opens and Mitaka closes it quickly behind him, red faced and slightly sweaty. “Back.” He calls, waving a hand at Hux and trying to affect a saunter back to his desk.

“What is wrong with you? Was it a delivery?”

“Someone looking for directions?” Mitaka says, not meeting Hux’s eyes.

“Who called us first?” Hux presses, as he continues taking pictures, smiling as Bartleby plays up his round face and bright eyes.

“They were visiting someone else, and could only find our number and figured we could help and you know how I like to help people and stuff… Boss.”

Hux turns his head slightly to the side. “You’re a terrible liar, and I would threaten you with being fired, but honestly I’m not up for the paperwork at the moment.”

Jessika comes out of the bathroom as Hux talks, smiling at the normal banter between them. “Oh come on, I could help with the paperwork. And if you’re hiring?” She smirks at Mitaka. Laughing loudly at the look of betrayal he throws her way.

“Excellent, and the position is filled.” There’s a smacking sound as Bartleby falls forward off the chair and hits the floor. “Oh fuck, are you ok?”

He looks up with a shy grin, holding his thumb up. “Yeah, the fall was cushioned by my pride. M’fine.” He starts to pick himself up off the floor and dust himself down. “Next outfit? Please…”

“Right, yeah, get changed and we’ll try and bang these out quickly.” Hux says, glancing over his shoulder questioningly as Jessika gives a small squeak as Mitaka whispers hurriedly in her ear. “You’re both fired!”

\--

“Boss, we’re going to head off now. Have a good evening!” Mitaka calls from the door, ushering Jessika out quickly, and locking the door behind them.

Hux barely has time to turn away from the laptop screen before he hears the lock click and sighs. “Sometimes I worry about that guy. And now I’m talking to myself. Maybe I should get a cat. Or break Kylo out of jail and go on the run as international fugitives.” Hux laughs drily. “That might be less of a ballache than a cat.” He starts scrolling through the pictures, sighing at the generic nature of them and looks out the window briefly. “This needs wine.”

He walks slowly to the staircase, scratching his stomach lightly and rubbing his lightly bearded jaw with a soft groan. He reaches up to slide the hatch open and follows the curve of the stairs, stopping at the sight of Kylo curled up on his small couch, hair damp and loosely curled around his face.

He’s shirtless and Hux can see scattered bruises on his torso, and dark rings of bruises around his wrists. “Why are you here?” He asks dumbly, stepping up the last steps and moving closer to the couch.

Kylo stirs, his eyes opening slowly and meeting Hux’s. “Hey Bren. You have a beard?” He says sleepily, smiling broadly up at Hux.

“Why? How?” Hux stammers, reaching out a hand to touch Kylo as if to reassure himself that he’s real and there.

Kylo straightens his legs, groaning slightly as he rocks up to sitting, and reaches out a hand to wrap over Hux’s hip. “Come here.” He pulls Hux forward with a finger in the pocket of his jeans and drags until Hux straddles his lap. “I missed you.”

“You’re not answering me. How are you here? What happened?”

Kylo sighs, slumping against the back of the couch and letting his hands rest under Hux’s shirt at his waist. “My mother is a terrifying person, and my father is a pilot. Mom scared Jinn into admitting he was a dick, Dad flew me back. There was a lot of blame, a few tears and I managed to not punch anyone. That’s the Cliff Notes version anyway. I’ve not slept properly in three days, and I just wanted to see you.”

Hux reaches his hand up and strokes Kylo’s cheek, sliding his fingers into his hair and rubbing his thumb against Kylo’s scalp. “Sorry, I just… It’s a shock, and I wanted to make sure it was all above board, and police aren’t going to come and take you away again. The pictures were bad enough.”

Kylo lifts one hand up, looking at the ring of bruises around his wrist. “The actual experience was a lot of fun.” He deadpans, smiling weakly at Hux.

Hux leans forward slightly, pressing a soft kiss to the inside of Kylo’s wrist, holding Kylo’s gaze as kisses his way around the mark, using his free hand to turn Kylo’s arm to reach the entire span of mottled skin. “I need you to be ok.” He whispers with a final kiss to the pulse point. Using the hand in Kylo’s hair to pull him forward with a gentle pressure and leaning forward to kiss him.

Starting off gently and sliding his tongue out to wet their lips, sighing when Kylo opens his mouth and his tongue touches Kylo’s. Gently pressing forward to take control of the kiss and licking gently at the corner of Kylo’s lips. “Please tell me you’re ok?” He says as he pulls away, before pushing in roughly, using his grip to push Kylo back and licking back into Kylo’s mouth with a groan. Pushing his arm back with the hand pressed under the ring of bruises, he rolls his hips forward against Kylo and swallows the whimper he gets in return. He pulls away slightly, and presses kisses along Kylo’s jaw and towards his throat.

“Hey, I’m fine, bit knocked about. It’s ok. Fuck, Bren.” He moans as Hux starts mouthing at the side of his throat, scratching his teeth over the skin and pressing his cheek to the curve of Kylo’s shoulder, grinding his stubble into the pale skin. “No marks.” Kylo grits out as his hand goes up to the back of Hux’s head and holds him in place.

“Doesn’t matter, you’re already bruised. And also, I really don’t care.” Hux bites down on the jut of Kylo’s collarbone, smiling as Kylo cries out.

“Please, I need… Bren. Please.” Hux rolls his hips again, feeling the slide of the loose trackpants Kylo is wearing.

He pulls back, grinning, letting go of Kylo’s arm and scratching his nails down the length of Kylo’s chest, sliding his hand into the waistband and groaning when he meets bare skin and rubs the curve of his palm over the head of Kylo’s half hard cock. “What do you need? Anything Ky, tell me.”

Kylo pants as Hux’s hand slides lower, rolling his balls gently in his fingers, and presses his thumb gently into the base of Kylo’s cock, circling it in place slightly as Kylo shakes slightly under him. “Want to fuck you, please. You fuck me. Anything. Please. Bren.”

Hux lets his middle finger stroke gently along the skin behind Kylo’s balls. “If I tell you something that’s kinda horrible, are you going to hate me?”

Kylo’s hand comes off the back of the sofa, wraps around the back of Hux’s head and pulls him forward enough to kiss him harshly, sinking his long thick fingers into Hux’s hair and scratches along his scalp with his nails. “Maybe, but it’s unlikely. Especially with my balls in your hand.” Kylo laughs harshly, shuddering as Hux’s hand grinds against him. “And if you tell me you got turned on by the pictures of me in handcuffs, I will completely understand.”

Hux’s hips twitch forward and he gasps harshly, face close to Kylo’s as his eyes widen.

“Thought so.” Kylo pulls him forward again, kissing his slightly open mouth and laughing in the back of his throat. He slides them forward to the edge of the couch, and slides his hand under Hux’s thigh, digging in as he stands up and Hux tightens his legs around Kylo.

Kylo holds him close as he crosses to the bed, kissing him the whole way across the apartment. He presses him down against the bed and slides on top, rolling his hips slightly and hissing as Hux tightens his hand around him.

Kylo breaks the kiss and presses his forehead to Hux’s. “Where are they?”

“What?”

“The cuffs, where are they?” Kylo says, bending his leg and pressing his thigh up against Hux.

Hux groans as his eyes slip closed. “Middle drawer, should be at the front. Are you sure?” Kylo rifles through the drawer, dragging the cuffs out with a clink and smiling down at Hux. “Or are those for me?” Hux slides his hand from Kylo’s trousers, shoving the loose waistband down as far as he can, and smiling up as Kylo kneels up and kicks them off.

“Nope, these are definitely for me. This might be the only chance we get for a long time. Are you going to get undressed or is this getting really kinky? Am I going to need that safeword?” He winks down at Hux, and laughs as Hux wiggles backwards and starts pulling his clothes off, dropping his shirt to the floor and kicking his shoes off.

Hux swings his leg past Kylo, tapping his tongue against the head of his erection with a grin and as he stands up and drops his jeans, yanking his socks off and almost stumbling forward. “Doph thinks you spank me.”

Kylo stares at him. Twisting slightly to sit down on the bed. “I’m worried that this conversation came up.” He looks down at his cock as it twitches. “But honestly, that just sounds fun. Pulling you over my lap, calling you a ‘naughty boy’, watching that pale freckled skin turn pink and then red with my handprints.” Hux shoves his shoulder and Kylo falls back to lie across the bed, swinging the handcuffs on one finger and shaking with laughter.

“Maybe I should do it to you, make you count.” Hux swipes the handcuffs, straddling Kylo on the bed and kneewalking up to hover over his waist, leaning forward and pushing his arse back to just stroke against Kylo’s hard length. He drops the cuffs to the bed and catches Kylo’s hands as they try to tickle at his side, pinning them to the bed on either side of his head and pressing a quick kiss to the end of his nose. “I bet you’d love it. Beg me to do it harder, wreck you. Make you cry.”

“Maybe you should wreck me tonight and then we’ll see what happens? If you try very hard, maybe I’ll even cry for you. Beg you.” Hux grabs for the cuffs, snatching them and taking Kylo’s arm in his.

“Are you really sure about this? I don’t want to hurt you.”

Kylo closes his eyes briefly, looking up intensely at Hux. His tongue slips out briefly to wet his lips, and Hux watches them glisten in the light over head. “I can’t stop thinking about the clicking noise they made, or how they shoved me to the floor. And I want to try and change that memory to something that doesn’t make me want to… Anyway.” He closes his eyes again and doesn’t open them. “I will beg if you want me to. But I trust that you’ll let me go if I ask. Please, Bren.”

Hux stares at him, wrapping the cuff around Kylo’s wrist and clicking it shut, reaching down and pressing both his wrists down above his head, he kisses Kylo as he opens the other cuff and slips it around his other wrist, grinding his hips back as Kylo’s shoulders tense briefly and he pulls against the cuffs, moaning into Hux’s kiss as they drag against the bruises. Hux sits up, grinning as Kylo tries to follow him and jerks against Hux’s hold on his wrists. “What am I going to do with you?”

Kylo opens his eyes slowly, rocking his hips slightly to get friction on his cock, and Hux shifts forward slightly until Kylo whines at the loss of stimulation. “Torture me apparently. I’ve been in a cell for the last three days, stuck on a plane with my parents for more hours than I want to admit. Bren, please!”

“You said anything.” Hux teases. Leaning down and pressing a kiss to Kylo’s left nipple, his tongue slipping out to run around the edge slowly as Kylo presses up against his mouth. Kylo cries out as Hux laves his tongue over the hardening bud and then nips the pink skin hard. He lets go of Kylo’s wrists reaching out under the pillow to their side and grabbing the bottle of lube. “It’s a shame your hands aren’t free, they always feel so good stretching me open.” Kylo moans and shoves his hips up again. “So maybe we’ll just skip that part. You can make it up to me later.” He presses a soft kiss to Kylo’s other nipple, looking up through his eyelashes and meeting Kylo’s eyes.

“What?” Kylo asks breathily, chest heaving slightly under Hux.

Hux sits up, pouring lube into into his palm and looking over his shoulder as he reaches back, tilting his hand to drip the silky liquid over Kylo’s cock slowly. Watching as it twitches under the drops and wrapping his hand around his hard length, spreading a thick layer of lubricant as Kylo keens beneath him. “Shhh, it’s ok. I’ll take care of you.” Hux whispers as he turns back to Kylo, nudging his hips back and angling to press the wide flared head of Kylo’s slicked cock to his tight entrance. “Try to hold still.”

Hux holds Kylo’s cock steady, pressing back against him, and gasping as he starts to open around the head, the burn clawing up through him and making his legs shake as the head finally breaches him. “Fuck, so tight.” Kylo’s hips twitch and he strains against the urge to thrust up as Hux keeps pressing back, sliding further down Kylo’s long, wide cock.

Hux lets his clean hand start to stroke down Kylo’s chest, toying with his nipples, and biting his lip as he shifts further down, hips rolling as Kylo’s head rubs past his prostate and whimpering as Kylo’s hips twitch up hard, sinking further and splitting him open too fast. “Ky… Kylo, fuck. So… Fuck.”

Kylo brings his arms down, reaching up and taking Hux’s face in his bound hands and sitting up to kiss him, twitching his hips up again and groaning as he bottoms out in Hux. Kylo bites at Hux’s bottom lip, sliding his hands over his slim throat and down to wrap around his waist, pressing the cold chain of the cuffs into Hux’s skin, and swallowing his whimpers as Hux’s hips move of their own accord.

Hux lifts himself up shakily, waiting until the head is just inside and shoving himself down with a cry into the loose sloppy kiss. Kylo groans, pulling back enough to pant into the small space between them. “What the fuck did I do to deserve you?” He asks, eyes bright as Hux grinds in slow circles in the cradle of his lap.

Hux lets his head falls back, laughing as he lifts up again, feeling Kylo’s hands clench around his waist and hold him up as he lets his legs relax. He clenches his muscles, working his entrance around the ridge under the head of Kylo’s cock. Kylo’s arms go lax as he moans and Hux slumps down hard, letting gravity pull him and crying out as Kylo drives into his prostate, his own cock pulsing precome to drip down his length and spill onto Kylo’s stomach.

Hux starts riding him hard, lifting and falling with swift, precise movements that have Kylo’s head falling back and his eyes slipping closed as he shouts out. Kylo’s hands stay wrapped around his waist, digging in and nearly touching at Hux’s spine as the loops of the cuffs are pulled deep into his wrists. Kylo’s voice gets lower and a deep growl starts rumbling in his throat as his balls start to draw in. He uses his grip to push Hux to the side, rolling and twisting to press Hux down on his back, driving up hard and grinning widely as Hux cries out loudly, his hands slipping up into Kylo’s hair and pulling.

Kylo grunts with each thrust, pushing Hux further up the bed with each sharp snap of his hips, shoving past his prostate and driving curses and pleas from Hux. “Please come, Bren, please.” Kylo whispers, pressing his hands down to hold Hux still as he speeds up. “Please.”

Hux scratches his nails across Kylo’s scalp, pulling two handfuls of hair as his back tries to arch and he finds himself pinned under Kylo. His cock twitching and splattering come over his stomach and Kylo’s arms, tightening around the thrusting cock in his arse as Kylo fucks him through the spasms, before burying himself as deep as he can get and pressing his mouth to Hux’s throat with a gentle bite as he comes in searing wet pulses inside Hux with a soft cry, and a wet drip onto his neck.

Hux feels Kylo shudder above him, and a soft sob against his throat. “Hey, look at me.” He relaxes his grip on Kylo’s hair, and strokes one hand down Kylo’s neck, stroking his fingers gently over the nape of his neck. “It’s ok. You’re here. You’re fine, it’s ok.” Kylo slides his hips back enough to slip out of Hux and slumps to lie on his side, curling his still cuffed hands between them and letting Hux wrap over him in a tight embrace as he sobs.

“I wanted to call you.” He mutters. “I just wanted to hear you. I dreamed you were there.”

Hux strokes the hair back from Kylo’s face, swiping the tears away from his cheek. “It’s over now though, you’re here. Maybe I’ll just handcuff you to the bed and never let you leave.” He says with a slow smile, stroking his thumb over Kylo’s cheekbone.

Kylo laughs weakly. “At this point, I’m tempted to let you. I was so scared. They were talking about ‘premeditated’ attacks and attempted murder, and they wouldn’t take the cuffs off for hours.” He shivers slightly and looks up to meet Hux’s eyes. “Can you take these off? And can we sleep?”

Hux slides his arm from under Kylo, and leans forward to dig through the middle drawer and pull out the keys, using them to unlock the cuffs, dropping them onto the bedside table and gently nudging Kylo up so he can pull the duvet over them and let them settle, pulling Kylo back into his arms and pressing a kiss to the inside of each of his slim, bruised, wrists.

“Do I scare you? Have I ever scared you?” Kylo asks in a small voice, tangling his legs with Hux.

Hux twitches slightly. Huffing a soft laugh. “No. Never. You do remember our first meeting had me referring to you as a puppy.”

“They were scared of me. The cops. Jinn convinced them I was a threat. They were arresting him as they let me go, one cop just had him by the arm and walked him into a cell. No cuffs, nothing.” He looks down slightly. Closing his eyes. “But you know I’d never hurt you, right?”

“You should sleep, now you’re safe.” Hux whispers, stroking Kylo’s hair gently as they curl up together under the covers.

“Bren…”

“I know, I know you’d never hurt me. Sleep.”

\--

Hux wakes up the next morning, pleasantly aching and warm as soft lips press to his forehead. “I’ve got to go meet Phasma. I’ve got Mitaka’s keys from last night, I’ll… Come back later?”

Hux nods sleepily, registering a soft laugh before he slips back asleep.

\--

Hux wakes up fully with his alarm, reaching out an arm to find the bed cold and empty and sighing as he swings his legs over the edge and sits up with a soft groan, stretching and wincing as his back cracks.

He swipes the alarm off, hitting his hand against the handcuffs and opening the drawer with a small smile and swiping them in. Rubbing his hand through his mussed and slightly tangled hair.

Grabbing his phone he moves towards the kitchen to start the coffee maker and stops still as he reads one of the headlines aloud. “ _Deadly Past of Killer Kylo_ What the fuck!” He exclaims, swiping through his phone quickly and hitting dial.

“Kylo? Kylo what the hell? Yeah, ok, I’ll… Ok, I’ll wait till you get back. Ok, it’s ok. Yeah, yes, I love you too.” He hangs up and goes to move towards the kitchen again.

He’s halfway through loading the coffee maker when he pauses. “Love you too? Oh bollocks.”

\--

“Have you read it?” Mitaka asks as he hands Hux a coffee where he’s slumped on the sofas in the studio. Hux opens his eyes slightly and glares. “I’m going to take that as a yes. It can’t be true. He’ll come back and tell you it can’t be true.” Mitaka smiles slightly weakly. “How was last night? I hope you don’t mind I let him in, his place was surrounded by vultures and he didn’t think anyone would look for him here.”

“I didn’t read it too much, the first paragraph before I called and he asked me not to.” Hux opens his eyes fully and sits up. “Yeah, yeah, last night, it was fine. I’m curious why you didn’t tell me, but it’s fine.”

“I didn’t figure you’d be able to contain yourself, I was foreseeing flailing limbs and you tripping over and braining yourself on the floor.” He laughs. Sipping his coffee as he leans against the desk, crossing his ankles.

Hux slumps back to the sofa. “I’m not completely hopeless romantically, I would have been able to restrain myself. Though I might have said ‘I love you’ earlier this morning.”

Mitaka squeaks slightly as he leans forward. “That’s so cute! I mean as long as it wasn’t post-orgasmic?”

“No, it was post-headline reading. He said it on the phone and I said ‘love you too’ and it felt so natural, and normal, and now I’m really concerned.”

“It’s been three months! You’ve been getting more morose everytime he goes away! You’re allowed to fall in love with the giant spaniel puppy! Fuck…” Mitaka swears as he splatters coffee down his front with a wave of his arms. “He makes you happy. Ultimately that’s what matters. Look, I get that you have a fucked up perception of what constitutes a ‘happy relationship’ but you make him smile, and I think you trust him. Which is better than the litany of pricks you’ve been working through.”

“They weren’t all that bad!”

“They were terrible. You, Kylo excluded, have atrocious taste in men!”

“None of them have ever killed anyone.” Hux says quietly, letting his eyes close and drinking.

Mitaka pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs. “I will get the newspaper! Wait til you’ve spoken to Kylo and gotten the truth. About everything, please, Bren.”

“What’s the plan for today anyway?” Hux asks, standing up and walking past Mitaka, staring at the floor.

“Bren…”

“Fine!” Hux spins, waving his hand at Mitaka. “Fine, I’ll talk to him first. I’ll have an incredibly awkward conversation with my potential boyfriend about whether he actually killed people and then ran away and changed his name. Doesn’t that sound like a fun way to spend an afternoon. Oh god, I’m so fucked.”

“You are limping slightly.” Mitaka says, smile dropping when Hux glares at him. “Look, there’s no shoots til tomorrow, today is just editing. I can stay if you want, or I can leave you to have your incredibly awkward conversation. But you will need to have that conversation, and you can call me if it goes terribly. Please don’t call me if it goes well! Than is on nights at the moment and I’ll be terribly jealous of you and your ridiculously attractive underwear model of a boyfriend getting it on.”

“I think I owe you a raise.”

“I’ll take you being happy.” Mitaka walks around the desk and sits down. “And $2 extra an hour.” He gives Hux a broad smile over the screens.

\--

There’s a tentative knock on the studio door and the slow creak as it opens. “Hey, guys. Um, can I come in?” Kylo asks, leaning around the door and speaking quietly.

“You have keys don’t you?” Mitaka smiles up at him. “And I don’t know, can you?”

Hux stands quietly in front of the laptop, wringing his hands slightly. “You’ll have to excuse him, he actually trained as a teacher. Which means he’s useful for spelling things incorrectly and making people feel about four inches tall.”

“I spell perfectly thank you! And now I’m going to go home and hope Than hasn’t left yet so I can make soft eyes at him and call him Cookie.” Mitaka grabs his bag and coat.

Hux laughs. “You spell fine, for a Yank. Ugh, affection! Should be banned!” He calls to the retreating figure leaving the studio and then he stops, gives Kylo a small smile. “So, I, uh, I said…”

“Yeah, me too.” Kylo lets out a deep breath, stepping forward. “Before we talk about that, and I meant it, I really did, we need to talk about the other thing.”

Hux edges closer, fiddling with the overhang of his belt. “The ridiculous story that you killed someone. We don’t…”

“Two.”

“Two? What?” Hux asks, tipping his head to the side and sliding the worn leather through his fingers repeatedly.

Kylo closes his eyes, takes a gulp of air and says quickly. “I killed two people, in a car crash, when I was 17.” He opens his eyes slowly and looks at Hux, stepping back slightly as Hux seems frozen in place, mouth slightly open, hand clenched at his side. “They were 16, John and Valerie. I was driving, and I heard things being said and done… John had his hand down Val’s top and she was trying to shove him off, and so I was shouting, trying to keep my eyes on the road and find somewhere to pull over, and she kicked the chair and I swerved.”

Hux steps back, grabbing behind him for the seat and sitting down.

“Please say something?” There’s a hint of begging in his tone as Kylo steps forward.

“You swerved?” Hux says flatly, not looking up from the floor.

“I swerved and there was a truck, I tried to get back in the right lane, the car spun and he drove straight into the side of us. Valerie died on impact, John was in a coma for a week before they turned off life support. The other guy in the front was fine, he testified on my behalf. The truck driver was over the limit hours wise.” Kylo’s breathing is hurried, his words tumbling over each other as if now he’s started, he can’t stop.

Hux looks away from the floor, finally looking at Kylo’s face. “You’re crying.” He observes. “It doesn’t sound like you killed them.”

Kylo smiles weakly, stepping forward again and crouching down with his elbows on his knees and up on his toes. He lets his head hang forward slightly and scrubs his hair back from his face with a harsh swipe from his gloved hand. “I was driving, I accepted it a long time ago, anyway.” He lets out a rough mirthless laugh. “The kids at school certainly thought it was my fault. Though I suppose that’s what happens when you kill popular kids.”

“It sounds like a terrible thing that happened, but it wasn’t malicious. Things happened, you can’t have been driving long.” Hux leans forward, reaching out to touch Kylo’s shoulder. “Were you hurt in the crash?”

“Clean break of my leg, a few cuts and a broken nose. The tiny scar on my hip is probably the only visual clue.” Kylo’s breathing turns ragged. “They called me ‘Killer’. The kids at school, everyone really. It was a nickname my Dad had for me as a kid and it came back with a vengeance.” His hands clench on his knees, nails digging into his palms and he sighs loudly. “I’m honestly surprised it’s not come out before, but I suppose this makes the biggest impact. And improves Jinn’s case.” He curves forward onto his knees, hitting the floor with a crack that makes Hux wince. “I don’t know what to do. They printed my actual name, though fuck knows I’ve not used it in over 10 years. Mom phoned to say I should come home, hide out there, but now that’s out they’ll be all over the house.”

Hux strokes Kylo hair gently, relishing the way Kylo leans into the touch slightly. “Hide out here? I’m assuming you don’t have any other shoots for a while. You can watch terrible things on Netflix. I can get crotchety and shake my walking stick from the front door.”

“What if they get in the building?”

“I own the building, I’ll call the police. I’ve done it before. It’ll blow over, I promise. I assume your terrifying amazon of a manager is throwing injunctions at it all?”

Kylo looks up at Hux between the strands of his hair. Eyes wide with surprise. “Yeah, and Mom is finding out who leaked the information since my record was sealed due to my age. The actual crash was known about but there are aspects that weren’t released in the article, so it had to be from the original report. Did you read the article?”

“You asked me not to.” Hux says simply, and scratches his fingers behind Kylo’s ear gently. “Look if you really want to kneel on the floor all evening I’m not going to say no, but we should probably go upstairs, I have nice thick rugs.”

Kylo laughs at that. Short and high as he presses against Hux’s hand. “You don’t care that…”

“I care that you’re hurting, and that people are being twats. But, neither of us can bring them back, or undo what happened. And from how you explain it, it wasn’t your fault. Even if you don’t believe that. You look exhausted, you’re still bruised, and I don’t think you slept properly last night despite the exhaustion.” Hux lets his hand slide down to cup Kylo’s cheek, raising his other one up and pulling Kylo closer and up onto his knees. “We’re going to go upstairs, you’re going to nap, I’m going to work. Then we’ll order food and watch a scary movie.”

Kylo ducks his head. “I don’t like scary movies, remember?”

Grinning down at him, Hux taps his cheeks twice. “I remember, I also remember how you burrowed into my lap last time, and how nice it felt. So scary movie.” He laughs, standing up and pulling Kylo with him, grimacing at the loud crack of one of Kylo’s knees as he stands. “I thought I was the old rickety one.”

\--

The table and counters of the apartment are covered in take out boxes, newspapers and balled up pieces of paper. Kylo throws another over his shoulder and adjusts his glasses with a sigh, pushing the wireless frames back up his nose, and pulling his hair into a messy bun with a low growl. “Look, Nika, I’m just not cut out for writing press statements. Isn’t this your job?”

The clipped feminine tone from the phone on the table has an exasperated tone to it. “Kylo, this needs to come from you. It needs to sound real. And it needs to be soon, this silence has gone on too long. You need to tell them your side, back up the information your Mother is releasing. Also you might want to call your Mother, she’s leaving messages what feels like every three hours. Does she not have your cell number?”

Kylo bites his lip slightly. “Why do you say ‘cell’ and Hux says ‘mobile’? Shouldn’t you use the same? Both being terrible English people!”

“Kylo,” she sighs. “I have spent more time dealing with ridiculous Americans. Are you avoiding your Mother?”

“Maybe.” Kylo says sheepishly, shoving the glasses back up as he tries to write. “Maybe I should just wing this.”

“Absolutely not! You’ll end up talking about Hux’s accent for 20 minutes again and not clearing your name. Look, people like you. The reports of Jinn being a creep have helped. Even the crash hasn’t dented the ‘thirst’ for you. I’m fielding booking requests from a ridiculous number of companies.”

“Do they want me, or ‘Killer Kylo’, or Ben? Because honestly I’ve seen all fucking three too much over the last week.” Kylo sighs, slumping back onto the sofa and spinning the pen in his hands. “Right, ‘I would like to make a statement regarding the recent revelations. Fuck you for digging up the most painful experience in my life and using it to sell papers you vultures. And fuck you for almost ending one of the best things before it really began.’ Do you think that would work?”

Phasma breathes in, audibly letting it out slowly. “Kylo, I know this is horrible. But you need to take things seriously. Just go with a generic response.”

Laughing dryly, Kylo stares at the phone. “You know this is horrible? Well, I’m glad we can agree on something! I mean it’s not like I think about it every fucking day. Or have nightmares five nights a fucking week. But I’m glad you understand. And you said it couldn’t sound generic? ‘Hello, my name is [Insert Name Here], and I [Insert Horrific Act Here], [Insert Number of Years Ago Here]’. Hell, maybe there’s a fucking Madlib on the internet I can use.” He throws the pen across the room, watching as it falls down the open hatch into the studio. “Fuck!”

“One more try, then we’ll call it, and I’ll let you go back to eating your own weight in carbs and dumplings.” She says softly.

“I’m sorry.” He speaks quietly, squeezing his eyes shut as he starts to tear up. “Ok. ‘I changed my name to avoid my past, but it’s never really worked. I’m slowly realising that while I was driving there are many factors that led to the crash.’”

Hux’s head pokes above the hatch and Kylo looks over and meets his gaze, tear sliding down his cheek and eyes red rimmed. “‘I’m glad for the overwhelming support of my family and friends, and the love from the most important people in my life. Also the support of my colleagues in the industry and my fans around the world. While nothing I do can bring them, can bring John and Valerie back, honestly the families don’t deserve to have their tragedy and grief dragged through the muck that is the gossip press, and I hope you can leave them alone, and refocus to things that matter and can be changed.’ Will that work?” Kylo blinks, sending more tears down his face as Hux moves further up the stairs and starts to cross the room.

“That was excellent, Kylo. I’ll get it sent out right now. Along with the standard request for privacy in this troubling time. I will speak to you soon, oh and Kylo?”

“Nika…”

“Call your Mother!” Phasma ends the call abruptly, and Kylo slumps back against the cushions.

Hux sits down gently next to him, reaching out to grab his hand and interweaving their fingers. “If it helps you stop crying, I think you look really sexy with the glasses and the bun. And I really want to get some pictures of it for my personal collection.” Hux leers slightly at him with a laugh when Kylo cracks a grin and rolls his head to look at him.

“I feel like I should be wearing far less clothing for your personal collection.” He mutters, pulling his legs up and rolling to curl into Hux’s side on the small sofa. Hux wraps his arm around his shoulders and pulls him in close, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of his head.

“Maybe a set of a striptease then? I’ll crack out the music.” Hux doesn’t move as Kylo shifts and drapes his legs over Hux’s lap, wrapping his free arm around Hux’s waist and relaxing into the embrace.

\--

“‘Photographer B. Hux said of his famous jeans shoot with Ren, ‘he was surly, and withdrawn. Honestly I don’t know how we got such amazing shots. But put it down to my professionalism.’” Hux throws the magazine across the room, watching it catch in the air and splay open before sliding several feet across the studio. “What the fuck? I never even gave an interview to anyone. And I’ll admit to an ego, but that’s ridiculous even for me!”

Mitaka covers the mic of the handset. “I’m trying to figure out where it came from.” He shifts his hand. “Yes! Can you please explain where this quote came from? Because it most certainly did not come from Mr. Hux and we will be seeking legal representation if you don’t print a retraction right away.”

“‘Noted fashion photographer B. Hux is quoted as saying ‘I don’t know where people have gotten the idea I’m dating Mr. Ren. We worked together on a project several months ago and have barely seen each other since. He’s barely an acquaintance.’ The photographer was reluctant to comment on his sexuality at all.’ Reluctant to fucking comment? I never started a conversation in the first place!” He drops the newspaper insert to the floor and steps on it, kicking it and scattering the pages across the studio.

The door to the studio opens quickly, banging against the wall and the glass shakes in the frame. “I don’t understand, Bren. What is this?” Kylo is holding a screwed up copy of the paper Hux has just kicked across the floor, his eyes wide and wet, bottom lip bitten and swollen. Shiny under the lights.

“I don’t know, I didn’t say anything to anyone.” Hux shouts as he whirls around, nearly slipping on the paper under his feet. He slumps slightly when he sees Kylo. “Sorry, I don’t know what’s going on.”

“It’s everywhere, I was ‘unprofessional’. ‘Ungainly’. ‘Hard to frame in an attractive light’ whatever the fuck that even means. Did you say any of this?”

Hux laughs hollowly. “None of it. I don’t know where it’s coming from.”

“Uh.” Mitaka says, putting the phone down quietly. He looks ashen, staring at the screens and clicking rapidly, eyes darting around. “Here apparently. It came from our emails, a press release sent out to everyone who could be counted on to spread it like a weed.”

“But we didn’t send anything.” Hux can’t take his eyes off Kylo, watching as he slumps lower, curling in on himself, the newspaper falling from his hand. “Ky, you have to believe me, we didn’t send it. I would never… I love you for fucks sake. You’re the best thing I’ve got going for me, and I’m not going to fuck that up!”

“You thought I was using you for publicity and networking once. I always thought it was iffy how you instantly went to that.” He looks away from Hux, swallowing repeatedly. “I just… I trusted you through everything. Were you waiting till after the big shoot next week to break it off? Is that what it was?” Kylo’s large eyes are wet, and his hand is trembling at his side. “Then a big expose? I guess the ‘Killer Kylo’ thing was an unexpected boon. Has Jinn promised you his fucking client list when he retires or something?” Kylo shakes his hand, stopping his fingers curling into a fist, and shifting back slightly.

Hux steps forward, stopping when Kylo moves back to standing in the doorway. He reaches an arm towards Kylo. “No, I wouldn’t. I didn’t do this. I don’t know who did. Please, you have to believe me, this wasn’t me.”

“I don’t have to do anything but leave. I’ll see you next week for the shoot Mr. Hux, Mr. Mitaka. I’ll try to be punctual.” Kylo turns sharply, leaving almost as soon as the last syllable is out of his mouth, roughly swiping at his face as Hux stands frozen in the middle of the studio, hand outstretched and eyes wide.

\--

Hux storms in, throwing his coat at the rack and yanking his tie down and pulling the top button of his shirt open. “Can you believe that? ‘Unprofessional’? ‘Mediocre’? ‘Creepy’?”

Mitaka follows closing the door softly, holding a large bottle of Dom Pérignon and a slender black box. “You didn’t actually hear him say any of that though? And it’s funny how it’s the same kind of stuff that you apparently said about him, don’t you think?”

“I didn’t hear him say anything! He won’t talk to me! At all. He won’t respond to my messages. It’s been a week, he won’t answer the phone at all. Phasma says we need to sort it out between us. And I fucking miss him! I miss him so much it hurts.” Hux feels his throat catch, and his eyes start to water. “We need to press the lawyers to get those retractions printed.”

“I meant more, how do you know Dameron isn’t just stirring up shit? He might just still be pissed Kylo got the Martinique job over him and then got Jinn blackballed, or at least it’s starting to look like that. Maybe it’s all revenge. Jinn gave Dameron his big break after all.” He carefully places the bottle and the box on the desk in the corner of the room, pulling his coat tighter around him as Hux spins to face him, shoulders slumping slightly. “I’ll call the lawyers tomorrow morning. I still can’t find the email, or any trace of it from our end.”

Hux’s hand clenches at his side, jaw twitching. “Maybe you’re right. Or maybe he’s just a manipulative arsehole. It’d make for a great run of TMZ articles wouldn’t it. ‘Ren and Hux at each other's throats! Feud! Arguments!’ He probably should have just gotten Kylo to punch me though, it would have been far quicker. Though I can’t think of a suitable hashtag his manager could use to smooth it over. ‘Damn Dameron, at it again with the manipulative bullshit?’ And that might just lead to a bump for Kylo and a slump for me. Heh, maybe an arrest.”

“That’s a meme. Doesn’t really work as a hashtag.” Mitaka says quietly, a slight chuckle in his voice.

Hux glares at him weakly, eyebrow twitching until he laughs quietly and runs his hands through his hair. “Is there really a difference? It’s all forgettable tosh anyway.”

“Maybe you should get some sleep? There’s nothing scheduled til Monday, you can speak to him at the shoot, find out what actually happened. Without alcohol and adrenaline running through you, and away from the listening microphones and giggling morons.”

“You’re a good friend Doph. I don’t think I tell you that enough. You have a point, sleep does sound very good.” Hux pats him on the shoulder, pulling his tie over his head and dropping it onto the desk. “I don’t think I’ve done much of it this week, the bed's too big.” He admits softly.

“You don’t tell me that often, but you do pay me a pretty stupid salary, so it all evens out.” Mitaka smiles up at him slightly, before turning and grabbing an umbrella from the stand of the coat rack. “Now, I’m going to head home on the vague chance I’ve not been relegated to the couch again.”

“Take the Dom. That might be persuasive enough, I won’t drink it anyway. Get a car, charge it to the company account, you didn’t have to come this evening. It’s literally the least I can do to make sure you get home ok. Can you lock up the main door and I’ll see you Monday.”

Mitaka walks towards the door, clicking on his phone to order a cab and flicking his keys in his other hand. “Get some sleep!” He calls before closing the door behind him.

Hux watches him go and slumps over the sofa, falling back and grunting as he lands. He rolls onto his side and curls up. “Fuck.” He mutters as his arm falls across his eyes. “I will go upstairs. Absolutely.” His voice gets quieter until his arm slips down and he falls asleep.

\--

The rain clatters against the windows, the sound dulled but still there as it soaks the city, and the steady drip from the coat rack in the corner is starting to make Hux twitch every time it hits. Mitaka is running back and forth for the bevy of make up artists and hairdressers cramped at well lit mirrors in a line down the studio as Hux tries to fix the lights.

“Hey, Hux.” Poe asks as he swaggers up, ruffling his curly hair into a semblance of rakishly sexy and smiling warmly at him. “I know Ren is supposed to be here, are you going to be OK? I mean after the comments you made he might be volatile.”

Sighing, Hux turns and freezes as Kylo walks in the door, coat pulled tight around him and hair firmly tucked under a dark red beanie, one curl having broken free to hang on his forehead. Hux smiles at him, face dropping when Kylo meets his eyes and quickly looks away.

“Hux?” Poe asks again, pressing a hand to Hux’s arm with a slight stroke along his shirt, and Hux looks away as Kylo notices.

“Yes, I’m sure it’ll be fine. I mean it’s a shoot, he’ll be professional, I’m sure.” Hux smiles weakly, but it doesn’t reach his eyes as he steps away from Poe’s gently stroking hand, ignoring the huff of derision Poe gives him, and crosses the room to Mitaka. Gaze dropping to the floor as Kylo hangs his coat up and pulls the hat off, revealing the neat lines of braids. Hux swallows quickly and turns his back to the door, breathing speeding up.

Mitaka smiles warmly and pats him on the shoulder, handing foundation to a model without looking and mouthing ‘it’ll be fine’ at Hux’s worried face. ‘Trust me.’

Hux nods once, taking a deep breath and he speaks to the room. “Right, guys and gals, as soon as you’re ready and changed grab a seat and we’ll get this show on the road.” He claps his hands together and rubs them slightly, staring down at the action with mild hopelessness as Kylo sits down for makeup.

Kylo reaches up, snapping the small elastics and shaking his head out, much to the delight of Maria who squeals with laughter, and Hux feels the slight tap of one of the broken bands against the side of his neck, settling into the collar of his shirt. He leaves it and starts to fiddle with the camera again, checking and rechecking settings that he knows are fine just to have something to do to hide the slight tremor in his hands.

\--

“Ky… Uh, Mr. Ren next, please.” Hux says quietly, watching Poe shift in his seat and Rob lean against the wall, barely taking his eyes off his phone screen and smirking slightly as Kylo moves across the studio. He’s wearing perfectly fitted suit trousers, just the right length to skim the shiny shoes at the bottom. The crisp white shirt is unbuttoned at the collar, black tie unknotted and laying down his chest. There’s a perfect imprint of dark red lipstick on the collar and the side of his cheek, and Hux’s hand twitches with the urge to rub it out.

“Sure you’ve got the lighting right, Mr. Hux?” Kylo says coldly as he stands in the circle of bright white, taking the suit jacket handed to him by an assistant and draping it over his shoulder. “I can be awkward to shoot.”

‘It’s… it’s fine.’ Hux mumbles, staring through the viewfinder rather than looking directly at Kylo. “Ok, so debauched, smoldering into the camera. I’m sure you’ve been watching, you’ve got this.” He says, with more confidence than he feels. “Maybe crumple the collar a bit more and pop another button?”

“Freshly fucked then?”

Hux’s head snaps up, meeting Kylo’s gaze and reeling slightly at the disdain he sees. His eyes slip to the smear of red at the side of his mouth, faintly lip shaped but mostly abstract. He lingers on the wet swell of Kylo’s mouth as his tongue slips out to wet his own absentmindedly.

Kylo’s eyes follow the line of Hux’s tongue, popping the button on his shirt and squashing the collar in a tight grip until Hux nods slightly. Kylo shakes his head slightly to clear it. Staring at his reflection in the toe of his shoe and then looking up into the camera with a soft, sensual smirk. Eyes bright and round, reflecting the lights in front of him.

Hux rolls his eyes slightly at the ‘ooh ‘ he hears from behind him, and starts clicking the shutter. Moving around Kylo as he follows the lens with his eyes and twists slightly.

He reaches out gently to touch the collar and swallows a sigh at the warmth radiating from Kylo's body. Pulling down the collar of the shirt so it opens more and Hux fixates on the pale, skin it reveals, dark brown moles looking almost black in the bright light and next to the white shirt. “Can you mess your hair up a bit for me, please?”

Kylo stares forward as he shakes his head and pulls a few strands forward over his face. Trying to avoid looking too closely at Hux, and aware his breathing has sped up noticeably and that Poe is grinning nastily at him.

“That’s perfect.” Hux nearly whispers as he crouches down and starts shooting up towards Kylo’s face, blinking slowly as he looks up from the screen. “Can you relax a bit more? A bit looser?”

Kylo closes his eyes and slumps slightly, dropping the shoulder with the jacket over it, and his hip. “Is that working for you?” He asks, letting a coy edge slip into his voice before opening his eyes again and looking straight down at Hux. He reaches out a hand and slides the collar of Hux’s shirt aside, fingers grabbing the small strand of plastic and smiling down as he throws it behind him.

“Yeah… Thanks. I mean, yes, it looks great. It’ll look great for the shoot.” Hux stands up, groaning slightly as his knees protest. “Don’t get old guys, it plays hell on your knees.” He says with a quick grin at the assembled models sprawled over the sofa. He turns back to Kylo and catches the tail end of the smile he tries to hide in his shoulder. “Can you sit on the floor, legs crossed at the ankles, bent up and held in the crook of your elbows? You know that really awkward position that looks editorial but no one actually sits in because it’s ridiculously uncomfortable?”

Kylo bends, reaching out a hand behind him to steady himself as he folds to the floor, pulling himself into the required position and rumpling his hair again. “This is gonna be hilarious, I am all leg, have fun getting a good shot.”

Hux laughs. “I’m a damned good artist Mr. Ren. I’m going to make you look amazing.” He lines up the perfect shot, angling the camera down and catching the shadows that fall across Kylo’s chest from his arms.

“Of that, I have no doubt.” Kylo says quietly, letting his head drop forward slightly and his hair obscure his eyes in shadow and curls.

Hux tsks. “Eyes on me, please.” He teases, catching a gasp before it makes any noise as Kylo lets his head fall back he sees a tear streak down his cheek, Kylo’s eyes closed gently and his lips parted slightly. Hux steps back, still clicking pictures. “Right. Right we should take 10 minutes people, get re-powdered, visit the powder room.” He registers movement behind him and looks back down at Kylo. “I need a cigarette.” He mutters quietly. Reaching out a hand to help Kylo off the floor.

\--

Hux and Mitaka are trying to frame the group shots when they hear the clatter of a chair falling over, the sound loud even over the sudden cacophony of shouting and heavy footsteps. Hux turns quickly, twitching slightly as another chair hits the ground.

“What the fuck did you say?” Kylo growls loudly, his voice low and rough as he advances on Rob, still leaning against the wall.

Rob looks up from his phone nonchalantly, smirking at Poe and a small group of the male models sitting on the couches. “And here was me thinking you spoke mostly in grunts and innuendo, Killer.”

Hux starts across the studio, reaching out a hand to try and grab Kylo’s arm and missing as Kylo steps forward again, crowding Rob against the wall and towering over him. “What did you say?” He hisses and Hux hears Maria squeak slightly off to the side.

“I said ‘I hope they both got tested before the Brit fucked Killer, who knows what they’d be sharing around otherwise.’ Did you hear me that time Killer? Or is it Ben?” He turns to Mitaka who is holding a tray of coffees and takes one from the cardboard holder, taking a slow sip before turning back to Kylo.

Hux reaches Kylo just as the bigger man whacks the coffee out of Rob’s hand, the lid opening and the hot liquid splattering over the wall and Mitaka, who hisses slightly and flinches away, covering his face with his hands. He grabs for Kylo’s arm as it comes back to swing at the smug model and feels the impact of Kylo’s elbow in the side of his neck before it really registers.

The force of the blow knocks Hux sideways and to the floor with a loud shout as Kylo brings his arm forward and stops an inch from the closed eyes of Rob as he braces for the hit. Kylo turns panicked to see Hux coughing harshly, blood on his teeth and flecks on the floor mixed with spittle. “No. I didn’t. Bren, I…” Kylo’s eyes go wide and he steps back, noticing Mitaka wiping the coffee from his face and the slight redness of his skin. “I…”

“Kylo… Wait.” Hux shouts as he turns on his heels and runs, grabbing his coat and hitting his shoulder with a loud crack against the door frame. “Fuck.” Hux groans, slumping to the floor.

\--

“Are you sure you're ok, Bren?” Phasma's concerned voice rings out of the speakerphone. “I'd understand if you wanted…”

“I'm fine.” Hux manages. Bruise pale on his neck but large and red at the edges. His voice is crackly and quiet. “I'm fine, I just need to know he's ok. He ran out and I mean he grabbed his coat, but he's not answering and his phone goes straight to voicemail.”

“Maybe we should tag him like they do with pets? Can you get tracker collars for six three man mountains?” Mitaka asks, looking at his face in a mirror, touching the reddened skin gently. “Guys dig scars right?”

Phasma’s exclamation of surprise is tinny and crackly. “Scars?!” They hear papers shuffling around and the clatter of a phone being picked up. “How bad are you hurt Mr. Mitaka? If there’ll be scarring?”

“He’s being an idiot, it’s a bit red, he might look likes he got a sunburn, but it’s not going to scar!” Hux chokes out, glaring at Mitaka from behind the screens. “Nika, we’re fine, Rob’s an arse, but we knew that. No harm done. Suspected irreparable damage to relationship potential, but that’s something separate and honestly I just want to know he’s ok.”

Phasma sighs, and groans quietly into the phone. “I’ll keep you in the loop as soon as I know anything. Don’t die, please. The legal fees alone would be incredible. And there are like 15 witnesses. Good night gentlemen.” The line goes dead with a click.

Hux slumps in the seat, wincing as his neck bends to an awkward angle. “I need to find him.” He says to the ceiling.

Mitaka looks up, running his hand through his hair and sighs. “No, you need to take some painkillers and get some sleep, and then go look tomorrow. He’s a big boy Bren, he can take care of himself.”

“Yeah, because he’s doing such a swimming job of it at the moment. Fuck!”

“He got to 28 without you, he can get to 29. Just… You can’t do anything if you collapse from exhaustion and caffeine overdose and lack of pain meds. Go upstairs and sleep. Than is going to come over when his shifts finished and make sure you’re ok.” Mitaka holds up a hand to stall Hux’s protestations. “No. You won’t go to a hospital, so I’m bringing a hospital to you. Well, a small, but very vital part of a hospital, and you will be nice and polite, with the ‘yes sir’s and the ‘no sir’s. Am I clear?” Mitaka smiles brightly at Hux, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

Hux drags himself from the chair, grabbing his phone from the desk and starting to stumble across the studio, clearly exhausted and dragging his limbs. “I’m terrified about the content of your sex life. Do you just shout at each other and order each other around and the first person to come is the loser?”

“Bed!” Mitaka calls, finally laughing as Hux starts dragging himself up the spiral staircase. “I will call you if I hear anything.” He promises as he settles down behind the desk and leans down to press his forehead against the cool glass.

\--

The studio is dark, the only light coming in through the window behind the desk and glinting off the desktop. The rain is still striking the windows and the reflected light of the city makes it looks like the window is sparkling. The phone rings, loud and echoey in the empty space before clicking to the answer machine with a whirr. A light turns on beside the staircase.

“B. Hux Photography, we’re closed at the moment, but if you’d care to leave a message we’ll get back to you during our office hours as soon as possible.” Mitaka’s voice rings out across the studio, slightly high and annoyed sounding.

“Hey Bren… Uh, Hux. Look I’m really sorry about the… Well anyway. You were there, you know what I did.” Kylo’s voice sounds muffled, choked up and the rain echoes in the background. “Maybe it’s better if we stop, I mean, completely, everything. I don’t…” He stutters slightly, coughing loudly. “I can’t hurt you. Well, I mean I could. I did. And I’m so... But you don’t want to hear that. It would hurt me. It does hurt me to think I left you. There was blood, and I did that.” There’s a broken sob and the sound of Kylo scrabbling more change into a slot. “And I can’t run that risk again, so. I can have Phasma make sure I don’t get booked with you if you’d like. You can let me know by message if that’s easier for you, though I sorta destroyed my phone, so maybe just email Phasma directly.”

He laughs hollowly, his voice cracking when he starts talking again. “I think I found the one payphone in this city that still works, and I have your business card in my wallet so that’s why I’m calling here. Of course you’ve gone out, or are avoiding calls. I know you don’t really like answering the phone. And hey, if you don’t get this til morning and it’s Mitaka, I’m so sorry about the coffee. I would never hurt you intentionally dude. I, I hope you know that. Both of you. Or neither, I suppose it’s possible the answer machine doesn’t work properly and no one will ever hear this. I could tell it all my secrets and no one would know.”

There’s another noise like a sob and a swallow. “Fuck, I don’t even know what I’m saying, I had a few drinks, and I think this place might actually serve neat cleaning products instead of spirits.” Kylo coughs again. “Look, Bren…”

There’s a loud beep and a whirring noise as the answer machine times out the message and the studio falls silent for a few seconds before the phone rings again.

“B. Hux Photography, we’re closed at the moment, but if you’d care to leave a message we’ll get back to you during our office hours as soon as possible.”

“Bren, I… I love you. I really do. And I suppose I just need you… To know that.” He adds hurriedly. “But I’m too dangerous, so this is much safer. Right? Isn’t it?” There’s a pleading edge in his tone, and he clears his throat loudly. “I’m gonna go, tell Phasma if you don’t wanna see me again, I’ll understand. Love you Dougal.” There’s a click and the line dies.

The light by the staircase switches off, and the studio goes dark again, the red flashing light on the desk reflecting on the brickwork.

\--

A fork of lightning flashes across the windows, and Hux looks up briefly from the laptop screen to catch it as it flashes across the sky lighting up the dim studio. He watches another two quick strikes before the thunder rolls through the room, loud and booming, one rumble catching the tail of the other and dragging it out. He looks back at the laptop and opens the next set of pictures, nearly clicking the cross at the corner when Kylo appears on the screen, debauched and lipstick smeared and apparently eye-fucking the camera, he laughs quietly as he clicks through them, marking certain ones as his favourite and saving a few to his private collection.

He freezes as he reaches the set he was crouched for, looking up at Kylo and his breath catches as the light seems to glow behind him, and the lipstick looks darker, the shadows on his face deeper. Kylo had been staring into the lens for most of the shoot but there are a few where he’s clearly looking at Hux, eyeline slightly off and Hux shifts in his seat slightly.

He tracks the change between Kylo looking down at him and Kylo curling onto the floor, looking up at Hux and he feels his breathing speeding up as he knows what’s coming. The shots of Kylo’s head draped forward, his hair dark and glinting like oil against the white of the shirt and the matte black of the trousers, and he gasps slightly when Kylo looks up.

Clicking through the set he tracks the path of the tear down Kylo’s cheek with the pad of a finger, and feels his nose start to itch as his own eyes water. “Idiot.” He says fondly as he moves the entire set to his personal collection and deletes them from the program.

He moves onto the next model, tall and thin with sharp cheekbones and white-blonde hair. “Dude, you look bored.” He gestures loosely at the screen, clicking through quickly and starting to swear he can see Kylo in the poses, can see how his broad shoulders would make the pose different. How Kylo would look like he was making love to whatever he looked at while the poser on screen just continues to look dull and bored with the situation. He shivers slightly as a cool breeze blows up his back and continues to move through the shots.

It takes him a few seconds to realise he can see Kylo reflected in the glass screen and he spins around in the chair, getting to his feet and stumbling slightly as the blood rushes to his head. “Kylo, what… What happened?” He moves forward quickly, noting the blood smeared across Kylo’s face, the black eye and the split lip. There’s a trail of drips down the front of the white shirt in a parody of the lipstick, and his coat is open, the shirt soaked and translucent, stuck to his chest.

“You should see the other guy.” Kylo mutters as Hux reaches him, his wet cold hand reaching out and brushing gently against the bruise at Hux’s neck. “I’m so sorry. I couldn’t… I need…” Kylo’s hand wraps over the sharp line of Hux’s jaw and he pulls him forward, tilting his head to the side to kiss Hux hard and passionately. There’s a rumble as if he’s trying to talk into the kiss as his tongue slips between Hux’s lips and presses against Hux’s tongue.

Hux gasps slightly, taking a few seconds to catch up before reaching to bury his hand in Kylo’s hair and pull him closer if he can, he shivers at the cold drips of rainwater that start to run down his sleeve and ignores it to get his other hand inside Kylo’s coat and shove it off his shoulders. Listening to the wet slap as it’s weight drags the end down to the floor and pulls Kylo’s arm away from him to fall completely.

Kylo’s hands are back on him instantly, reaching down to grab the edges of his shirt and wrench it open, before slipping cold fingers inside to make Hux’s breath catch as they slip and slither around his waist. One hand resting at the curve of his back as the other tries to shove the sleeves of the shirt off. Kylo pulls away panting and presses their foreheads together. Closing his eyes as rainwater drips down their faces. “I saw the retraction they printed. I came over to talk, but I… Please tell me this is ok. Please tell me you want me. I don’t… I can’t… I need…” His voice is low, begging and Hux squeezes his eyes shut briefly.

“You idiot. Of course it’s ok.” Hux says quietly, his breath warm over Kylo’s face.

Kylo gasps slightly, eyes opening, and tears spilling down his face. “But I…” He reaches up and touches the bruise again.

“You didn’t mean to. I’ve had far worse from people who wanted to hurt me, this was an accident, everyone who was there knows it was an accident. I know you’d never hurt me on purpose. Ok? I know.”

Kylo slides his hands down Hux’s side, grabbing him at the hips and lifting and Hux wraps his legs around Kylo’s middle, kicking the door closed before crossing his ankles. “Love you.” Kylo whimpers, pressing a gentle kiss to the bruise and burying his head in the other side of Hux’s neck with a sigh. “Love you so fucking much.”

“Why are you bleeding?” Hux asks, tilting his head as Kylo’s tongue starts swirling over the skin of his throat in random patterns. “Are you ok?”

“Shitty biker bar.” Kylo whispers between small nips at Hux’s skin. “Phoned you, got a bit drunk, walked around the city for like 8 hours. Saw the sunrise, it reminded me of your hair. Second shitty bar, had a few, not many. Got in a fight with a big guy, punched him a few times, got punched a few times. Now I’m here.”

Hux presses a kiss to the shell of his ear, pulling his hair slightly so Hux can wrap his teeth gently around the lobe and bite down. “Is this going to be a running theme? You get bruised and marked and then turn up here so I can bruise you some more.” He asks breathlessly as Kylo starts walking across the room. “Are you sure you’re ok?”

Kylo pulls away from his neck and meets Hux’s gaze, steadying the smaller man around his waist as he reaches the staircase. “In case you missed it, I’m incredibly hard-headed, I’ll be fine.” He smiles at Hux, shyly, and whimpers when Hux tugs on the handful of hair he’s holding sharply, the smile getting wider. “You really do have a thing for my hair.”

Hux laughs suddenly, shifting forward to kiss Kylo again, shifting his hips up and down to try and get some friction against himself. “You need to be wearing less clothes, I want to make sure you’re not hiding a stab wound or something ridiculous.”

“I’ve never tried to take my clothes off while holding a skinny Brit… Is that an oft-practiced skill in The Emerald Isles?”

Hux blinks slightly. “That’s Ireland. Specifically Ireland.”

“That would explain why the Scottish biker guy punched me. I get it now.” Kylo grins again, his split lip opening slightly at the stretch and blood beading at the edge of the cut.

Hux groans, ducking his head down as Kylo starts up the staircase so he doesn’t hit it on the hatch. “I’m guessing you didn’t call him English, which is a small mercy, I’d be collecting your belongings from the morgue otherwise.” Hux freezes slightly, hiccoughing slightly in the close air pressed against Kylo’s chest. “And then finding some kind of resurrection thing to drag you back so I can beat you to death again for leaving.” He says quietly, pressing a kiss to Kylo’s chest as arms tighten around him almost crushingly for a brief moment.

“You changed the sheets.” Kylo mutters as he steps closer to the bed, black sheets crumpled and the duvet flung back. Black and red cased pillows messy and stacked awkwardly.

Hux laughs slightly. “That’s what you notice? That I’ve changed the sheets? Are you sure you don’t have concussion?”

Kylo puts him down, hands grabbing at the fly of his jeans and shoving them and Hux’s underwear down with a swift push. “Strip, now.”

Hux sits on the edge of the bed, undoing the laces on his canvas shoes and kicking them off. “Well, don’t just stand there, you naked now!” He gestures at Kylo, and grins at the shaking head and ‘oh right’ he gets in return, as Kylo starts stripping himself of the wet clothes from the shoot.

Hux hears fabric rip more than once as Kylo tears himself out of the sticky clothing, dumping it in a wet heap on the floor as Hux gets his socks off before shoving Hux in the shoulder to make him lie down.

“Brute.” Hux exclaims as Kylo scoops him up and drops him on the centre of the bed, watching as he bounces before climbing on top and kicking the duvet down to the end.

“You look. Fuck, Bren.” Kylo is staring down the length of Hux’s naked body, his cock hardening between his legs in the dark thatch of his pubic hair, and he rolls his hips down to slide his semi-erect length against Hux’s with a groan. His huge hands pinning Hux’s hips down. “You should wear more black. And waist belts. Or alternatively, just never use any other colour of bedding.”

“What are you talking about?” Hux manages as Kylo’s plush lips wrap around a nipple and he sucks, hard, pulling away with a slick pop and nipping slightly against the nub, before moving across to the other one.

“So fucking pale, black sheets.” He surges back up the bed to kiss Hux until they’re both breathless and panting, rolling his hips down sporadically as they both become harder and Hux feels his skin begin to prickle with sweat.

Hux laughs as he slides back down, pressing gentle kisses against the fluttering skin of Hux’s stomach, two days of stubble scratching gently enough to tickle. “Is that another kink? Currently the list includes... Fuck! Yes Ky…” Hux’s hips try to jerk against the hold when Kylo’s tongue snakes out to press into his slit. Writhing in the small hole as his lips gently wrap around the head and he suckles softly. Hux looks down and pulses precome across Kylo’s tongue as he meets those dark eyes looking straight up at him, hair hanging forward, lips dark red around the head of his flushing cock.

He groans out loudly as Kylo pushes forward, his tongue stroking along the vein on the underside as he takes more and more of Hux’s cock into his mouth, fluttering the length of his tongue against him before Hux feels the soft clench of Kylo’s throat around his head and he cries out as Kylo swallows.

“Fuck, please. Fuck. Need. Fuck me, please, please fuck me.” He babbles, not sure how much makes it out as he whimpers at the tight pressure and the finger bruises forming over his hips. “Kylo.”

Kylo pulls back gently, and Hux whines as his cock slips from his warm wide mouth, wet strings of spittle stretching between Kylo’s lips and his head. “Lube.” Kylo pushes back down as Hux shouts and flails an arm under the pillow to grab the bottle, dumping it as close as he can to Kylo and reaching an arm down to wrap back into Kylo’s damp hair. Not guiding, just resting, tangled in the curls.

He throws his head back when Kylo swallows around him again, digging his nails into the sheets and writhing as much as he’s able, only vaguely hearing the pop of a cap. “Fuck, more.” He whispers as Kylo presses one finger against him. Kylo’s other arm falling across his waist to keep him pinned. “I can take more. Need you, please.” Sighing as Kylo pushes in with two instead, the stretch exquisitely painful as he shouts out and tries to shove down as Kylo spreads them apart slightly and starts spreading lubricant. Kylo’s thumbnail scratching gently at his fluttering rim as he twists his wrist with a quiet slick sound.

Kylo pulls away as he slides three fingers in hard, pressing them against Hux’s prostate and grinding them in slow circles. Watching as Hux’s cock jerks and drips onto his stomach. He lets go of Hux and reaches down to tug at his own balls. “Don’t wanna finish just yet.”

“Fuck. Me. I’m ready.” Hux shouts, twisting his now free hips and shoving down harder onto Kylo’s fingers. Tears gathering at the corners of his eyes as they continue their slow pattern against him. “Please.”

“Not yet.” Kylo says soothingly, stroking the side of Hux’s thigh in random patterns and smiling softly up at him as Hux rides his fingers hard. Kylo bends forward again, mouthing haphazardly at the head of Hux’s cock, tongue flicking out to grab every bead of precome as Hux becomes more deperate. Wet streaks from the corners of his closed eyes into his hairline as his back curves.

“Kylo, Kylo, please, Ky…” Hux is begging, hand scrabbling to get back into Kylo’s hair as Kylo starts sliding back down him, pressing hard and sucking slow and long as he swallows around him again. His fingers speed up inside Hux, quick flicks and circles pressing hard against him and Hux comes with a scream.

Hips shoving forward and hand holding Kylo’s head in place, swallowing around the head of his cock rhythmically. Kylo reaches down between his legs and covers himself in lubricant, sliding his mouth off Hux’s cock before he’s finished coming, watching the slow wet drip of it down the length of Hux, as he slides up the bed, and thrusts his cock into Hux’s still clenching hole. Pushing against the resistance as Hux yanks his head down to kiss him and cries out louder.

He wraps his slick hand around Hux’s prick and starts stroking it hard and fast.

“No, please. I…” Hux sounds confused, twitching around Kylo’s cock and spasming in his hand.

“I’ll stop if you want, but just trust me, please.” Kylo mutters against his lips, fucking into Hux roughly and bumping against his prostate with every other stroke, feeling the clench of Hux’s entire body as pleasure spikes over him.

“Whatever you want.” Hux manages, crying out as Kylo speeds up and biting down on his shoulder as he whimpers.

He looks down at his still hard cock, mouth hanging open, and groans being pushed from his throat with every fast, powerful thrust into him. Kylo grabs his leg and pushes it up, driving into him harder and deeper and Hux cries out with every movement. The hand on his cock speeding up, and tightening on the upstroke with a clear intent as Kylo starts to wring his second orgasm from him. He wants to scream but he can’t drag the air in as his chest tenses along with his entire body, Kylo shoving in and groaning against his mouth as Hux whimpers brokenly. He feels the hot spill of Kylo’s come inside him, the wet slide of Kylo’s hand on his oversensitive cock as he comes onto his stomach.

Hux slumps to the bed, Kylo lowering his leg down gently, and shifting them onto their sides so he can cradle Hux in his arms while he kisses him and Hux drifts.

“Give me 20 minutes and then I’ll fuck you again, and after you can sit on my face and I’ll lick you clean as my come runs down your thighs.” Kylo whispers between kisses, his large cock twitching inside Hux as Hux shivers against him. “And I’ve got these bruises already, so maybe you should add a few? I don’t mind suffering for your art, after all.”

\--

Kylo lies sprawled on Hux's bedsheets, mindlessly tonguing at his split lip, and Hux looks at the slight smear of blood across his chin and cheek and smiles. Holding the camera up and clicking the shutter to grab the glazed look, and the slick spit across his chin, tiny flecks of come smudged against his stubble.

Hux winces as he walks sideways, buttocks starting to hurt as the endorphins leave his body and the beard burn starts to make itself known.

He runs a gentle finger along the bruising at Kylo’s hips where he’d fucked into Hux hard enough to bruise them both. Kylo had grinned sluggishly when he’d seen them starting to bloom on Hux’s thighs and bitten them hard before sucking blood to the surface.

Hux looks down the length of Kylo’s spread thighs and notes the spatters of come over finger bruises, and the perfect bite mark high in the crease. Listening to the slight whimper Kylo gives as he tries to close his legs and leaves them be.

He knows there have to be rake marks along Kylo’s scalp and down his back, and there’s a matching bitemark behind each of their ears that Hux fingers absentmindedly while clicking the shutter.

He looks down at himself and sees red patches on his calves, lining them up mentally with the red marks across Kylo’s shoulders from where he’d knelt over his face.

Hux takes pictures of every single mark.

\--

Mitaka opens the door quietly, slipping in and flicking the lights on above the desk and the front of the studio only. Phone pressed to his ear as he listens intently. “Yeah, yeah I know Cookie, but there doesn’t seem to be anything we can do legally. Aside from maybe defamation. We left him in the office alone during a shoot. Forget a crack you can wedge apart that’s practically the Grand Canyon.”

He pauses, smiling slightly as he slips the coffee tray to the desk. “You are the best husband anyone could hope to have, but I can fight my own battles. Well, my bosses battles anyway, you don’t need to castrate Dameron sans anaesthetic. Maybe Rob though, or just a swift knee in the bollocks.” He takes a sip of a drink, looking thoughtfully down at the floor. “Maybe I’ll run that suggestion past Bren, he’s got knees like razor blades the skinny fuck.”

“I know, I know.” He laughs loudly. “So do you babe. But it’s Hux he insulted. Maybe Kylo could do it. Not for the next few days though, I’ll call if either of them have died. Oh speak of the devil.”

Kylo bounces down the staircase, looking up sheepishly as he crosses the floor barefoot, shirtless and wearing low slung trackpants.

“I will probably be home soon, hopefully, if the sadist I work for releases me from my backbreaking work.” He gives Kylo a sad look, puffing out his bottom lip before grinning widely. “Love you Cookie!” He hangs up and shoves the phone in his pocket.

“Hi.” Kylo says quietly, staring at the red patches on the side of Mitaka’s face with a clear look of horror on his own.

“I bought you and Dougal coffee, if you want it. I have Than on standby in case either of you have had a heart attack.” Mitaka says as he wiggles the cardboard tray on the desk in Kylo direction. “Glad to see you back, if slightly battered. I hope that wasn’t Bren.” He lets his eyes trail over Kylo’s chest and arms. “Wasn’t all Bren anyway.”

Kylo grins wide and happy and takes the coffees. “I’m sorry about the…” He waves a hand at Mitaka’s face and gets a wide smile in return.

“No problem, just remember, don’t break his heart or I’ll remove yours, with a spoon. I know how, I’m married to a nurse remember.”

“He says to take the day off, well no, he slurred something, threw the pillow at me and said ‘coffee’ I assume that means take the day off. And I’m not going to break his heart. I’d take my own out before I did that.”

Mitaka reaches out a hand to rest it on Kylo’s shoulder. “We do need to discuss when you’re going to make this public, I suggest that premiere you’ve got next week, dip him on the red carpet, give him a big kiss. Maybe?”

“Do you have a bet on it or something?” Kylo asks, starting back towards the staircase with a nod at Mitaka.

“Maybe.”

Kylo pokes his head up through the hatch as Mitaka heads back out and locks the studio, and shouts out to the crumpled form on the bed. “Hey, I have coffee, courtesy of Coffee Pet.”

Hux waves a hand from under the duvet, hair rumpled and sweaty as Kylo crosses to the bed and slips the cups onto the bedside table, pressing a soft kiss to Hux’s head as he climbs back in beside him, pulling the sheets up and over them both. “I’m disgusting.” Hux murmurs as Kylo wraps around him.

Kylo doesn’t move. Hux loves him.

**Author's Note:**

> I got asked to pinch-hit a fic for the KBB and this happened from the original summary I was given. It was supposed to be short and porny, instead it went angsty and long. Way longer than my original KBB fic was.
> 
> It wouldn't exist if not for the continuous cheerleading and wonderfulness that is [Isy](http://griesly.tumblr.com).
> 
> The beautiful artwork is by [Sheepandpencils](http://sheepandpencils.tumblr.com/) on tumblr and the post can be found [here!](http://sheepandpencils.tumblr.com/post/145715800615/one-more-kyluxbb-art-this-time-for-the-lovely) SO MUCH LOVE!
> 
> Also gummy bears... So many gummy bears.
> 
> As always any missed errors, let me know, and anything else you feel I should tag for, shoot me a line.
> 
> Also, you can sin with me on [tumblr](http://dreamingofawolf.tumblr.com)


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